Department for Transport

Department for Transport: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Matthew Hancock) today to UIN 36288.

Department for Transport: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Robert Goodwill: My department follows the Government Buying Standard for food and catering to be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418072/gbs-food-catering-march2015.pdf. This specifies that any food purchased must conform as a minimum to UK statutory animal welfare standards or equivalent. The table below provides details on the proportion of dairy products that was sourced from British producers for the period 1st September 2014 to 31st August 2015.  Agency Name% of UK produced products ButterCheeseCreamMilkYoghurtAll dairyDfTC 2015* See note 10%57%100%100%100%81%DVSA 2015* See note 2100%70%100%100%100%94%DVLA 2015* See note 30%88%100%100%0%94%MCA & VCA do not have onsite cateringN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A DfTC note 1: Data covers the period 01/05/2015 to 31/08/2015. We have been unable to source data for DfTC pre May 2015 as we changed catering suppliers. All of the hard cheese and regional cheese provided are sourced from UK. There are number of non-indigenous, to UK, cheeses provided which are sourced from the EU. All of the butter, albeit a very minimal amount, is sourced from Republic of Ireland as the catering supplier is UK & Ireland operating company and its current butter contract is with a producer in the Republic of Ireland.DVSA note 2: Sample period 1st September 2014 to 31st August 2015.DVLA note 3: Sample Period 1st Sept 2014 - 31st Aug 2015, butter portions originate from Republic of Ireland, all cream & milk originates from Wales. All yoghurt originates from Denmark.

HM Coastguard: Norwich

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the (a) land and (b) buildings on the site of the Marine Office in Norwich are worth.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The only value to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for Norwich Marine Office is the value of the lease, which is 66k per annum. The value of the land and building resides with the landlord.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35399, what amount has been allocated within the overall cost envelope to deal with salt and subsidence issues related to the proposed High Speed 2(b) route; and what steps his Department has taken to ensure that that funding is sufficient in the absence of the information that would have been provided by intrusive geological surveys.

Mr Robert Goodwill: No specific amount has been allocated to dealing with salt and subsidence issues beyond the funding envelope announced for the project in November 2015.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the total expenditure by HS2 to date; and how much has been spent on (a) land, (b) property, (c) compensation and (d) salaries.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Under the Government’s commitment to transparency, the data that is recorded by departments for projects such as HS2 in its Major Projects Portfolio is published by departments alongside the publication of the Annual Report of the Infrastructure & Projects Authority. This data includes financial statistics such as whole life costs of each project as well as total in-year budget, forecast spend and variance. This information is available from GOV.UK. Since 2009/10 the Government has spent £1.4bn on the HS2 programme. This includes the costs incurred by HS2 Ltd and Land & Property expenditure. In relation to (a), (b) and (c), as of March 2016, £434.4m has been spent on land and property with a further £11.2m in compensation payments associated with the statutory blight regime. Please note that 2015/16 figures have not been audited yet. With regards to (d), the information on HS2 Ltd salaries is published in the company’s Annual Accounts, which are available from Gov.UK. As of March 2016, the total salaries for HS2 Ltd stand at £80.4m.

Transport: Sustainable Development

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how he will ensure the Government's £80 million five-year Access Fund will be spent on sustainable transport projects.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport allocated £20 million of the £80 million Access Fund to a transition year between 2016 and 2017. The primary objectives of the Sustainable Travel Transition Year remain as per the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to support the local economy; reduce carbon emissions; improve access to jobs, training and education; and increase levels of people cycling and walking. The competition for this was held on 15th February and closed on the 29th March 2016. The competition has now been assessed and the winning bids will be announced shortly. This transition year has been set up to support local councils in the switch from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to the Access Fund. The launch of the £60 million Access Fund will take place later this summer 2016, to provide further support for sustainable and accessible travel projects. Improving access to employment, education and services and improving walking and cycling uptake will be the core objectives.

Taxis: Licensing

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to define the term, fit and proper, for the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport currently provides Best Practice Guidance to assist with the fit and proper person test, which is the responsibility of local authorities.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35404, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the High Speed 2 LiDAR surveys, (b) all notes of all the consultations with (i) Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd, (ii) Compass Minerals UK Ltd and (iii) all other brine and salt extraction stakeholders and (c) the details of the mining engineer commissioned to undertake a study of the saltfield including the location of known brine wells; and on what date that study of the saltfield was commissioned.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All survey and study information will be published in due course and it would not be appropriate to publish partial information at this time as this could be misleading to the public. All meetings with individual business are treated in confidence due to commercial sensitivities surrounding the discussions. The details of the consultant are treated as commercial in confidence. The consultant was commissioned in January 2014 to undertake this study.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35453, if he will place in the Library a copy of the surveys referred to in that Answer.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All survey information will be published in due course and it would not be appropriate to publish partial information at this time as this could be misleading to the public.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35403, on High Speed 2 railway line: Eddisbury, for what reasons no intrusive geological surveys have been carried out at this stage; when HS2 Ltd commissioned from a mining engineer, in consultation with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board, a study of the historical subsidence effects and ongoing extractive processes in relation to salt; on what date HS2 Ltd received or will receive that report; and when he expects to receive the conclusions of the re-review of the usefulness of satellite interferometry to evaluate historical ground movement across Cheshire.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 will negotiate access to land with landowners to undertake geological surveys as a part of the Hybrid Bill process following the decision of the route as done on Phase 1 and Phase 2a. It would not be appropriate to intrude on landowners where there is no confirmation of the route. Both the study and the re-review will be used to support technical decisions contributing to a route announcement scheduled for later in 2016.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35400, for what reasons HS2 Ltd has not undertaken any work other than desktop studies in relation to the potential effect on aquifers, canal routes, roads and other surface obstacles in respect of Phase 2b of the route.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 will undertake a more detailed assessment of environmental impacts as a part of the Hybrid Bill process following the decision of the route as done on Phase 1 and Phase 2a. It would not be appropriate to undertake detailed studies where there is no confirmation of the route.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Cheshire

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35238, whether any factors relevant to (a) Cheshire and (b) Eddisbury have had a bearing on delays in announcing the route of Phase 2b of High Speed 2 from Crewe to Manchester.

Mr Robert Goodwill: As set out in my previous answer, HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport have been analysing options across the route following the consultation. It would not be appropriate to go into detail on any individual location before a route decision has been taken. A route decision is planned for autumn 2016.

Railways: Complaints

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office of Rail and Road super-complaint response report, published in March 2016, paragraph 207, which three train operating companies scored 0 per cent for their sampled mystery shops.

Claire Perry: The Department does not have this information. We understand the Office of Rail and Road intends to publish the results of this work, alongside its first annual report on consumers titled ‘Measuring Up’, shortly.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Julian Brazier: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to Question 36288.



36288 - QnA extract on EU Law
(Word Document, 18.07 KB)

Armed Forces: GCSE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34910, how many Guided Learning Hours are required for recruits to complete a (a) GCSE and (b) Level 2 in numeracy or literacy.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence has no established policy relating to time allowed to deliver GCSEs and Level 2 functional skills. Armed Forces Training Establishments follow the Guided Learning Hours (GLH) guidance provided by Education Awarding Bodies. The GLH as identified by the course governing body are used as a starting point when teaching functional skills. Our aim is to provide our trainees with a framework to achieve the qualification with the best possible support, not to achieve it within a certain period of time.The Royal Navy normally allocate three weeks for guided learning functional skills courses delivered as part of longer professional skills development training. The GLH for each qualification in the Army is 45 hours; however this can vary depending on individual needs and other factors such as location. Time allocated to functional skills training in the RAF will depend on the establishment delivering the training with some schools allocating between 45 and 64 hours.GCSEs are treated as elective courses for Service Personnel and time allocated for GCSEs is dependent on the individual and varies between four weeks for an intensive course and up to 16 weeks for a part time course. Army Personnel can undertake GCSEs or IGCSEs through evening classes run by the Army Education Centres and there will be a set programme linked to the GLH which is usually a minimum of 125 hours. The RAF and Navy offer courses which can be intensive or delivered over an extended period of time delivered by external providers.All Armed Forces Training Establishments have the ability to deliver functional skills training and GCSEs flexibly and time allocated is dependent on the individual and their needs as reflected in each individual's learning plan.

Armed Forces: Apprentices

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34910, what the completion rate is for recruits who start on an apprenticeship.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is able to provide the following information on completion rates for Level 2 and Level 3 Apprenticeships in the Armed Forces by Academic Year for 2011-12 and 2012-13. For information on completion rates for apprenticeships in 2013-14 and 2014-15, I will write to the hon. Member shortly. Level 2 Apprenticeships - 1 August 2011- 31 July 2012Level 2 Apprenticeships - 1 August 2012- 31 July 2013Level 3 Apprenticeships - 1 August 2011- 31 July 2012Level 3 Apprenticeships - 1 August 2012- 31 July 2013Army 4,5073,1161,6821,763Royal Navy2,1822,006339334Royal Air Force 764693665618Total 7,864*5,891*3,134*2,893**total numbers include apprenticeships completed by Service personnel and MOD civilian staff.

East Africa: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle political instability in east Africa.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence does not directly tackle political instability. As part of the United Kingdom's policy of countering shared threats in the region, supporting democratic and accountable governments, and promoting sustainable development, the Department works with other parts of Her Majesty's Government in assisting the countries of East Africa, as well as the United Nations and the African Union, to maintain security and to conduct peace support operations.

Army: Basic Skills

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of enlisted soldiers attain (a) Level 1 and (b) Level 2 literacy and numeracy skills by the end of their third year of service.

Penny Mordaunt: The Army has traditionally linked the recording and attainment of english and maths qualifications to the point at which an individual is ready for promotion to Corporal or Senior Non Commissioned Officer ranks, rather than as a factor of time. The growth in numbers of personnel joining the Army and pursuing an apprenticeship has changed this approach and simplified the measurement of attainment by time. Between 1 August 2012 and 31 July 2015 1,028 soldiers gained both Level 1 functional skills (FS) english and maths qualifications; and a further 722 soldiers gained the comparable qualifications at Level 2. This represents 11.8% of those enlisting (14,816) during the same period. This does not include those who gained just a functional skill in english or a functional skill in maths qualification, nor those who already held english and maths qualification on enlistment. In total 23,699 FS (english and maths) qualifications at Level 1 and 2 were gained by Regular soldiers through apprenticeship and AEC provision in 2014-15. Of these 41% were at Level 1 and 59% at Level 2.

Home Office

Entry Clearances: Migrant Workers

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what other migration routes or visas are available to a Tier 2 worker earning under £35,000 other than visas requiring participation in full-time education or marriage.

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Tier 2 skilled workers leaving the UK (a) voluntarily or (b) otherwise involuntarily as a result of the new £35,000 income requirement for settlement.

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to enforce the new £35,000 settlement threshold for Tier 2 skilled workers.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. The impact assessment is available on the gov.uk website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf.Alternative routes available for Tier 2 workers unable to meet the minimum earnings threshold would depend on their individual circumstances. For the most part, economic migrants who wish to change their basis of stay in the UK are expected to leave and re-apply for an alternative visa from their home country. However, in-country switching is permitted in some categories, for example into Tier 1 routes aimed at high value migrants.Tier 2 migrants who apply for settlement and do not meet the requirements will be refused. Those who do not qualify for an alternative route and have reached the maximum period of limited leave allowed under Tier 2 should make plans to leave the United Kingdom. Any migrant who has over stayed the validity of their visa or otherwise failed to regularise their stay in the UK may be removed if they refuse or fail to leave of their own volition. They may also be liable to prosecution under the Immigration Act 1971.

Immigration: Canada

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Canadian nationals have been refused indefinite leave to remain in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: The requested information for the period 2005 to 2014 is provided in the table below.Canadian nationals refused indefinite leave to remainYearTotal refusals 200540200620200723200830200936201030201115201212201318201418Source: Immigration Statistics Oct-Dec 2015, Home Office, table se_03Corresponding information for 2015 will be published on 26th August 2016.The Home Office publishes figures on people refused indefinite leave to remain by nationality (in country refusals of settlement) in table se_03 of the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.

Home Office: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Karen Bradley: We estimate that at least 90% of dairy products procured across the Home Office estate is sourced from British producers.

Marleen Baldwin

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will intervene to suspend the decision by Capita relating to Mrs Marleen Baldwin; and if she will ensure that Mrs Baldwin is not forcibly removed from the UK until she has reviewed her case.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the application for indefinite leave submitted by Mrs Marleen Baldwin and the notice of subsequent curtailment issued by her Department.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to review applications from Canadian nationals for indefinite leave to remain to ensure that decision-making is (a) appropriate and (b) evidence-based.

James Brokenshire: We do not comment publicly on individual cases. UK Visas and Immigration will write to the Honourable Member to provide an update on this case.There are no plans for a specific review of the administrative handling of immigration applications from Canadian nationals for indefinite leave to remain. UK Visas and Immigration is, however, committed to the principles of continuous improvement and to applying these to ensure processes are efficient and effective.The administrative requirements, and service standards, to which applicants for indefinite leave to remain are subject, are set out at www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/settle-in-the-uk. This information is reviewed regularly, with a view to ensuring it is as clear as possible.

Money Laundering

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 May 2016 to Question 35790, what data her Department holds on criminal assets abroad and whether such assets are recovered or not.

Mr John Hayes: As the Answer to Question 35790 set out, the Action Plan for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance states that there is no definitive measure of the scale of money laundering, but the best available international estimate, by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), of amounts laundered globally are equivalent to 2.7% of global GDP or US$1.6 trillion in 2009. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold data on criminal assets held abroad. Criminal assets recovered since 2009 under asset sharing arrangements were set out in the previous answer.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Electronic Government

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing government online forms.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a number of online forms to collect information from users for the delivery of a service.In creating forms for British nationals we follow the Government Digital Service design pattern guidance, ‘How to structure web forms for GOV.UK services’ - https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/resources/patterns/form-structure.html.The guidance requires the FCO only to collect information necessary to deliver a service. Information on honours is therefore not collected.We regularly analyse our online services to ensure they capture the necessary data, and our services are assessed to meet the Digital Service Standard before they go public.

Sudan: Cultural Heritage

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan.

James Duddridge: The UK Government is not directly involved in the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan. However, the British Council has previously sought to increase the awareness and appreciation of Sudan’s cultural heritage, including its cultural sites, amongst Sudanese youth. In addition, the British Museum has long-been involved in the archaeology of Sudan, including the preservation of cultural sites in Sudan, often with the support of the British Council.

Vladimir Bukovsky

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Russian Ambassador on the health of Vladimir Bukovsky; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Lidington: There have been no discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Russian Ambassador about Mr Bukovsky’s health.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mr David Lidington: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today to UIN: 36288.

Syria: Politics and Government

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance his Department is offering to the non-ISIL Syrian opposition.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK has been a long standing supporter of the moderate opposition in Syria. We provide them with non-lethal equipment and political support. We have delivered over £4 million of life-saving equipment including communications, medical and logistics equipment. We have also provided equipment to protect against chemical weapons attacks – including 5,000 escape hoods, nerve agent pre-treatment tablets and CW detector papers.

Turkey: Human Rights

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Turkey.

Mr David Lidington: We share the concerns of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the EU over freedom of the expression in Turkey, including the arrest and detention of a number of journalists. As a friend and ally we strongly encourage Turkey to continue work towards the full protection of all fundamental rights, especially in the areas of minority rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression – and will continue to do so.

Turkey: Freedom of Expression

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of freedom of expression in Turkey.

Mr David Lidington: We share the concerns of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the EU over freedom of the expression in Turkey, including the arrest and detention of a number of journalists. As a friend and ally we strongly encourage Turkey to continue work towards the full protection of all fundamental rights, especially in the areas of minority rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression – and will continue to do so.

Islamic State: Yazidis

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33790, if he will raise with the UK's European partners allowing Yazidi women in Iraq temporary residence in European countries to access medical and psychological support after rape and torture by Daesh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain extremely concerned by the barbarity and inhumanity which Daesh has shown towards all Iraq’s communities, and welcome European partners’ support to the humanitarian responseWe understand the depth of feeling at the suffering which Yezidi women have experienced, and calls for them to be granted temporary residence. Our priority is providing assistance to Yezidi women, and other vulnerable Iraqis, within Iraq. We can help more people through providing aid in Iraq compared to bringing people to the UK.  Through the Department for International Development we have committed £79.5 million to the humanitarian effort to help those who have fled Daesh’s brutality in Iraq. This support is reaching hundreds of thousands of people across the country, including the most vulnerable groups, which includes Yezidis. UK aid has provided medicine, emergency kits, psychological support, clean water and improved sanitation, shelter and cash assistance. The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund. This is providing life-saving maternal and child health-care, child protection services, and specialised support for escapees of Daesh terror.  All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Ethiopian government on the killing of protestors in the Oromia region since December 2015.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33551, when he expects the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to report; what information he holds on the number of reported mass arrests, beatings and killing of protesters, journalists and opposition party leaders and members in (a) the Oromia region and (b) Ethiopia in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he make representations to the Ethiopian government on establishing an independent inquiry into the reported use of excessive force during protests in the Oromia region in December 2015.

James Duddridge: The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and has repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian Government over the ongoing situation in Oromia. Justine Greening, the Secretary of State for International Development, raised our concerns with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 21 January, as did I, with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Dr Tedros, at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 27 January. Our Ambassador did the same in a meeting with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 26 April.The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been appointed to look into the handling of the protests in Oromia, and we await the publication of its report. We will continue to urge the EHRC and the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that their report is credible, transparent and leads to concrete action.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the resignation of Ahmet Davutoğlu as Prime Minister of Turkey on the viability of the agreement between the EU and Turkey on migrants.

Mr David Lidington: I pay tribute to Prime Minister Davutoğlu for his partnership with the UK both as Prime Minister and previously as Foreign Minister. Turkey is a vital friend and ally with whom we cooperate on a host of issues, including tackling the migration crisis. We look forward to continuing that strong cooperation with President Erdoğan and a new Prime Minister once installed.

EU Staff: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on which EU (a) Commissioners and (b) officials receive a higher salary than the Prime Minister.

Mr David Lidington: Information on the salaries of EU officials by grade and details of how Commissioners’ salaries are calculated can be found on http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/toc100_en.pdf. The EU Commission website also contains numbers of Commission officials at each grade.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will suspend immediately UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. A licence will not be issued for any country, including Saudi Arabia, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria. Our export licensing system allows us to respond quickly to changed circumstances, with the option to suspend or revoke any export licence, including those for Saudi Arabia, where we consider that this is a necessary step.The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK's export licensing criteria.

Yemen: Islamic State

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of how many Daesh operatives there are in Yemen; and what steps his Department is taking to monitor that group's activities.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We continue to work with regional and international partners to tackle the threat posed by terrorist organisations including Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Daesh-Yemen. For operational reasons we cannot comment in detail on this activity.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Government is ensuring accountability for (a) abuses of the ceasefire and (b) breaches of international law by all parties of the conflict in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We encourage all parties to respect the ceasefire that began on 10 April and worked closely with the UN to achieve this. The commitment of the parties to continue the work of the Coordination and De-escalation Committee, established at the talks in December, is positive and we encourage all parties to work towards a sustainable peace. We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict and take these very seriously. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military coalition and continue to engage with them on this. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Government is supporting the current UN-sponsored peace talks in Yemen; and what steps his Department is taking to bring an end to the conflict.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the conflict. We fully support the UN facilitated talks which began on 21 April in Kuwait. We are working closely with the UN to encourage parties to engage in good faith, without preconditions, and to respect the ceasefire which started on 10 April. The UK strongly supports the work of UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and commends his efforts to getting both sides to where we are now.

Yemen: Politics and Government

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle extremism and facilitate youth engagement in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Peace talks are the top priority. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. We are working closely with the UN to encourage parties to engage in good faith, without preconditions in the UN-facilitated talks which started on 21 April in Kuwait. Our support to the UN Council Resolution 2216 shows our commitment to engaging with civil society and youth as conditions allow. We are working closely with international partners to share learning and expertise in the support of positive alternative messages, and disruption of poisonous extremism propaganda.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the establishment of an independent international investigation into reported violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We want to see the Saudi Government investigate allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) which are attributed to them; and for their investigations to be timely, thorough and conclusive. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that any lessons learned will be acted upon. We are also concerned by reports of alleged IHL violations by Houthi/Saleh pro-government forces. We have raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL and the need for thorough and conclusive investigations.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Saudi Arabian government on the progress of that country's national commission to investigate violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: As announced by the Saudis on 29 February, British and other foreign advisors will provide advice to the independent committee that will assess Saudi Arabian military activity in Yemen. We are standing by to assist this activity as required.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today to UIN 36288.

Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the projected savings of closure of the Area Electoral Office in Newtownards, County Down; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: Management of Electoral Office resources is an operational matter for the Chief Electoral Officer.

Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the cost of the planned closure of several area electoral offices in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Chief Electoral Officer is considering reform options for the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, with the support of the Northern Ireland Office. He has already set out his plans to relocate staff from two Area Electoral Offices (Newtownards and Ballymena) when office leases end in October 2016. No other decisions on the future of Area Electoral Offices will be taken until later in the year when the CEO has been able to consider responses to public consultation on wider reform proposals.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Students: Loans

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many nationals of other EU member states (a) have student loans outstanding to repay, (b) are currently making payments on those loans and (c) have completed their course of study and are not making student loan repayments.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English loans to EU domiciled borrowers are published annually by SLC in the Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Loans in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspxInformation on the repayment statuses of EU domiciled borrowers, who are liable for repayment, can be found in table 3B of the SFR.

Students: Loans

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many nationals of other EU member states have taken out student loans but have made no repayments to date; and if he will estimate the total financial value of such loans.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English loans to EU domiciled borrowers are published annually by SLC in the Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Loans in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspxData provided by SLC shows that there were a total of 21,600 EU domiciled borrowers who had not yet made a repayment, of those who are liable to repay, with at least one tax year processed at the end of the financial year 2014-15. The balance remaining on these loans was £154 million.

Students: Loans

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many nationals of other EU member states have defaulted on their student loans; and what amount of such loans is not recoverable.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English loans to EU domiciled borrowers are published annually by SLC in the Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Loans in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspxInformation on the repayment statuses of EU domiciled borrowers, who are liable for repayment, can be found in table 3B of the SFR.The SLC has established repayment arrangements for borrowers who move overseas and will pursue those who do not repay what is due.

Students: Loans

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many nationals of other EU member states with loans outstanding are uncontactable; and what estimate he has made of the amount of outstanding loans owed by such people.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English loans to EU domiciled borrowers are published annually by SLC in the Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Loans in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspxInformation on the repayment statuses of EU domiciled borrowers, who are liable for repayment, can be found in table 3B of the SFR. Information on the balances of those loans are not available in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.SLC has arrangements in place to collect repayments from borrowers who move away from the UK; SLC establishes a 12 month repayment schedule based on the borrower’s income and provides information on the methods of repayment available.SLC sets up fixed repayment schedules for borrowers who do not remain in contact and will place those borrowers in arrears, further action, including legal action, can then be taken to secure recovery. European Commission regulations allow the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Joseph Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 11 May 2016 to Question UIN 36288.

Skills Funding Agency: Contracts

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on people accessing services of a contract being terminated early by the Skills Funding Agency due to the provider being at risk of failure.

Nick Boles: The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’. When the Skills Funding Agency terminates a provider’s contract early, whatever the reason for the termination, it ensures that an alternative provider is in place to enable employers and learners to continue their programme if they wish to do so.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Contracts

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department takes to limit the effect on service users of contracts with sub-contractors being terminated early due to the provider being at risk of failure.

Nick Boles: Where a subcontractor is impacted by the Skills Funding Agency’s (SFA) decision to terminate a provider contract, the SFA ensures that the learners can remain in their programme of learning either through the subcontractor or through a transfer to another provider depending on the circumstances of the termination. However, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’.

Skills Funding Agency: Contracts

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many contracts have been terminated early by the Skills Funding Agency due to the provider being at risk of failure in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015.

Nick Boles: The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’.

Directors: Disclosure of Information

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reason Companies House publishes the month and year of birth of company directors.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Shares

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 May 2016 to Question 35753, how many and which companies have not confirmed to Companies House that they no longer have bearer shares; and what action he plans to take against such companies.

Anna Soubry: As of 6 May 2016, 63 companies had not informed Companies House that they no longer have bearer shares. No action will be taken against these companies at the present time. There is no statutory obligation for any company that has converted bearer shares to registered shares to inform Companies House until it delivers its annual return or confirmation statement. I have requested the Registrar of Companies to write to the Hon Member with the list of the company names.

Employment: Telephone Services

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2016 to Question 31997, on employment: telephone services, if he will provide that data for financial years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

EU Grants and Loans

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of (a) regional development funds and (b) structural funds that the UK is due to receive in each year to 2020 under the current EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework.

Anna Soubry: The amounts allocated by year for each operational programme for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF) in the UK for the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework is set out in table 1.6 of the United Kingdom’s Partnership Agreement with the European Commission which can be found on GOV.UK at ‘European Structural and Investment Funds: UK Partnership Agreement’. The table is attached. Each annual allocation needs to be spent within three years.



ERDF and ESF funding
(Word Document, 39.5 KB)

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Nick Hurd: I refer the my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the cabinet Office today to UIN: 36288

Department for International Development: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID do not purchase dairy products directly. However the Departments catering service provider procures 100% of their dairy produce from British sources.

Africa and South Asia: Sustainable Development

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to engage the private sector in sustainable investments in Africa and South Asia.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID is committed to supporting economic development in Africa and South Asia as it recognises the central importance of inclusive economic growth in eradicating poverty. One of DFID’s priorities is to partner with businesses investing in frontier markets in order to unlock economic opportunities that also have high development benefits.DFID is working to create a business environment in Africa and South East Asia which is more conducive to attracting private sector capital; key to this is ensuring that investments are made in companies which have responsible business practices. Within DFID we ensure that investment vehicles like CDC and Private Infrastructure Development Group have investment codes with sustainability at their core. We also support internationally recognised Codes of Conduct like the UN Global Compact and organisations which aim to drive better reporting standards like the Global Reporting Initiative.

Middle East: Equality

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to promote gender equality in the Middle East.

Mr Desmond Swayne: To ensure compliance with the Gender Equality Act (2014), DFID ensures all programmes consider gender in order to understand and mitigate negative impacts of inequality and maximise opportunities to promote equality. Our strategic vision for women and girls is to unlock their potential to play a critical role in reducing poverty and building peaceful societies. For example, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank in Jordan, Egypt and the OPTs, the £10m Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund addresses the job market challenges faced by poor women, enabling 150,000 women to work, grow their business and increase their voice, choice and control over economic activities. In the humanitarian context, in response to the Syria crisis, DFID funding is enabling INGOs and UN agencies to provide specialist assistance to those affected by sexual-and gender-based violence through clinical care, case management, counselling, reproductive health care and cash assistance to vulnerable households.

Middle East and North Africa: Social Problems

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the causes of political and social instability in North Africa and the Middle East.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is central to the commitments of the National Security Council, Strategic Defence and Security Review, and the UK Aid Strategy. DFID works towards stability and security in the region through a joined up approach across HMG, prioritising efforts on what we can affect, exerting international influence and building resilience to prevent further failure. Our mission is to assist progress towards stability, preventing extremism and managing migration. The majority of our resources are targeted at a protracted humanitarian response and support stability through a focus on economic reform, education, jobs and local good governance. Since February 2012 and up to the end of financial year 2015/2016 we have spent nearly £1 billion. We will spend £510m in the region this year through the UK Syria crisis response, which will support humanitarian and non-humanitarian projects in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, benefiting people affected by the conflict.An important aspect of the cross HMG response to build stability in the region is the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) under the direction of the National Security Council. CSSF brings together HMG effort on conflict, stability, security and peacekeeping and responds to emerging crises in states where the United Kingdom has key interests. In 2016/17 the CSSF will commit £189m in MENA. The CSSF provides funding to a range of programmes that target the underlying drivers of conflict and instability, from security and justice to peacebuilding (political settlements and transition, community-level dispute resolution and conflict management), human rights protection and governance reform.

Tibet: Overseas Aid

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to provide development assistance to native Tibetans in Tibet.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID does not have a bilateral programme in the Tibetan region.Tibet is included within an Asia Regional programme which helps communities adapt to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation in the Mount Kailash area, the source of South Asia’s largest rivers. This area includes Tibet, India and Nepal. DFID has also funded assessments of glacial melt and rivers in the Himalayas, which contain findings relevant to Tibet.

Development Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to improve its ability to efficiently shift its involvement from providing short-term humanitarian assistance to long-term development projects in regions experiencing protracted crises.

Mr Desmond Swayne: We are increasing our capacity to deal with protracted and multiple crises. We have set up a new team to develop thinking on our overall approach to protracted crises, and are working across the department to share lessons and build on best practice.We are also working with international partners to develop solutions for protracted crises – and more appropriate medium term financing. The UK co-hosted the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference in London on 4 February 2016 which raised over $12bn in pledges, of which $6.1 billion has been committed for 2017-20 to enable partners to plan ahead. We are approaching the UN World Humanitarian Summit 2016 with an ambitious set of objectives to secure commitment to implementing a new approach to protracted displacement.

Developing Countries: Contracts

Edward Argar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria her Department uses to determine the award of contracts for projects overseas.

Mr Desmond Swayne: To determine the award of contracts, tenders are assessed against pre-defined and published evaluation criteria by an evaluation panel with relevant expertise. This assessment follows the EU Public Procurement principle of selecting the ‘most economically advantageous tender’. The evaluation has two main sections - technical evaluation and commercial evaluation.

Developing Countries: Contracts

Edward Argar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what weighting is given to bids made by British companies tendering for contracts from her Department for projects overseas.

Mr Desmond Swayne: No additional weighting is given to bids made by British companies tendering for contracts for projects overseas.100% of DFID aid assistance is untied. British companies have proven to be very successful, winning over 85% of contracts awarded by DFID and also competing successfully for contracts from other international development agencies.

Bangladesh: Education

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much UK development aid to Bangladesh has been spent on education in each year since 2000; and what information her Department holds on the proportion the total Bangladesh education budget that UK development aid represents in each of those years.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The table below shows the amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) spent on education in Bangladesh by the United Kingdom through the government, NGOs and civil society. UK Calendar year20002001200220032004200520062007UK Spend (£millions)007.87.717.328.919.68.9  UK Calendar year2008200920102011201220132014UK Spend (£millions)22.234.633.550.226.534.633.1 2015 figures will be published later this year.Details of the total Government of Bangladesh education budget can be found here: http://www.mof.gov.bd/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=1/.

Developing Countries: Contracts

Edward Argar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's contracts for projects overseas were competitively tendered in each of the last three years.

Mr Desmond Swayne: 90% of contracts awarded during 2013-14, 86% of contracts awarded during 2014-15 and 94% of contracts awarded during 2015-16 were competitively tendered. During this time-frame there were a number of contracts which are not deemed as competitively tendered.Any programmes not competitively tendered are subject to Procurement management review.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent representations the Government has made to the Ethiopian government on the Integrated Development Master Plan; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government of Ethiopia withdrew the Addis Ababa Master Plan in January 2016 in response to the wave of protests it had triggered in Oromia. The UK government has raised concerns about the unrest in Oromia, and particularly the reports of a large number of deaths, with the Ethiopian Government on a number of occasions. The Secretary of State raised our concerns directly with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister at Davos in January 2016.

Developing Countries: Drugs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the work of the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines; with reference to the Prime Minister's comments on the pharmaceutical industry to the BBC on 2 July 2014, what recent assessment she has made of the steps to take to resolve market failure related to the development of new classes of antibiotics in that industry; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK is committed to ensuring access to low cost, effective medicines in the developing world, providing a range of significant inputs to increasing access to essential medicines. We support the provision of essential medicines and other health products through innovative global partnerships such as the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), UNITAID, GAVI and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). We work to strengthen systems weaknesses, such as weak supply chains or poor procurement, which deter private investment, keep medicines prices high or lead to misuse or waste of medicines. We also place a great emphasis on research and development of new vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for conditions that affect millions of poor people. A new £1 billion fund – the Ross Fund - was recently announced with the aim of developing, testing and delivering a range of new products to help combat the world’s most serious diseases, such as malaria, Ebola and TB in developing countries.Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance is a key priority for this Government. We are awaiting the final report of the O’Neill Independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance later this month and the Department of Health will then lead a cross-Government response.We support the aims of the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. For it to fulfil its potential to improve access to affordable and quality medicines, including antibiotics, it will need to take a balanced approach, building on the WHO Global Strategy and Plan of Action and engaging with existing global partnerships, and use its influence to galvanise Member States, public and private sectors around a common approach to this important issue.

Department for International Development: Hotels

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of hotel bookings her Department made for its (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in each of the last five years.

Mr Desmond Swayne: In line with UK government commitments to increase transparency, DFID publishes details on our spend, including data on expenses, travel and hotel costs on GOV.UK. Publication includes all spend which, in compliance with HM Treasury guidance, does not compromise national or personal security, foreign relations or legal obligations under acts such as the Data Protection Act.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has plans to hold an international donor conference for the humanitarian response in Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The top priority for the present has to be ending the conflict and ensuring aid can reach those in need. We are focused on supporting the UN-led peace talks, increasing commercial imports of food, fuel and medical supplies, and improving humanitarian access.We will monitor progress against the 2016 UN appeal closely and consider whether a conference is helpful later this year.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure emergency education, in particular for displaced children, is prioritised as part of the emergency response in Yemen; and whether education will be prioritised in her Department's support for the recovery and reconstruction of Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne: UK aid to Yemen is currently focused on the most urgent life-saving needs, in particular food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation. We have so far helped more than 1.3 million Yemenis who have been affected by the conflict.DFID has supported education in Yemen through the Social Fund for Development (SFD). Since 2010, more than 240,000 children have attended schools supported by SFD. DFID is also supporting the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to rehabilitate schools which is helping 3,500 refugee children and Yemeni children from their host communities, to resume education.The UK is working closely with the Government of Yemen, Gulf countries, the World Bank, UN and other donors on planning for stabilisation and post-conflict recovery. Any future support will be based upon a comprehensive assessment of needs.

Companies: Taxation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government takes to ensure that all companies which receive support from her Department are committed to responsible tax behaviour.

Mr Desmond Swayne: All organisations that DFID contracts with are subject to the standard DFID Terms and Conditions. These are clear on the organisations responsibility for establishing specific country tax obligations and payment requirements. Supplier compliance expectation is reinforced through DFID’s Statement of Priorities and Expectations (SOPE) which specifies the Department’s position regarding tax avoidance.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Resignations

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of her Department resigned in each of the last six years.

Nick Gibb: The table below shows the number and proportion of officials who resigned in each of the last six financial years.DfE Resignations 2010-2016  YearNumber of resignationsProportion of staff[1]Headcount at year end (March)2010/11542%2,5862011/12472%2,7892012/131174%3,8862013/14902%3,4762014/151173%3,4772015/161133%3,545Source: RM The Department’s headcount increased from 2,789 in March 2012 to 3,886 in March 2013 following Arms Length Bodies reform, when the department closed a number of ALB and instead created three Agencies within the department.[1] Proportion based on average of start and end year headcount figures.

Free Schools

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many free schools were delayed in opening in each year since 2010.

Edward Timpson: Holding answer received on 28 April 2016



Since the free schools programme began, 81 free school projects have had their opening date deferred. In each case there was a need to balance the risk of opening on the planned date against all the elements that must be in place to ensure that a free school is successful when it opens. Our guidance makes clear that allowing a free school project to enter the “pre-opening” phase does not guarantee that the school will open on the date originally planned by the proposer group, or open at all. Free schools offer excellent value for money. The National Audit Office found in 2013 that free schools were built 45% more cheaply than other school building programmes. The free schools that are already open will provide over 150,000 new places.

Academies: Sponsorship

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools have been re-brokered to other academy sponsors in each year since 2010.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools are (a) in the process of being re-brokered and (b) awaiting re-brokering.

Edward Timpson: Holding answer received on 04 May 2016



There have been 130 academies and free schools (2% of academies) moved from a trust that had not been able to secure necessary improvements, to a strong sponsor. Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are looking at the appropriate action to take with those that currently have no formal action, working with trusts to improve school performance or looking at sponsor solutions where they feel that the trust is not meeting the required standards.The table below shows the numbers of academies which have been re-brokered to other academy sponsors, split by academic year.Academic YearNumber of academies re-brokered to other academy sponsors2011/1222012/1322013/14132014/15642015/1649Total130There are 38 academies in the process of moving from a trust that has not been able to secure necessary improvements, to a strong sponsor.The Department does not hold information on the number of academies which are awaiting re-brokerage. RSCs will work with schools in a number of ways before considering moving them to a new sponsor.

Schools: Admissions

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what modelling her Department has undertaken on the demand for school places in each year from 2016 to 2030.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of immigration from (a) EEA member countries and (b) countries from outside the EEA on the level of demand for school places in each year from 2016 to 2030.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's risk register assesses risks to (a) the provision of education places and (b) changes in the level of the cost of providing education which result from immigration from (i) other EEA member states and (ii) countries from outside the EEA; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Supporting local authorities in their responsibility to ensure sufficient school places remains one of this Government’s top priorities. Pupil forecasts based on ONS population projections, which include migration, have been published up to 2024.Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient school places to meet that need, and for determining precisely how many new places are needed in their area. We allocate funding for new school places to local authorities based on their own projections of local pupil numbers. These projections reflect all drivers of increased pupil numbers: rising birth rates, housing development and migration from within the UK and overseas. Any increase in need for places should be reflected in the local authority’s final basic need allocation – there is no shortfall between the number of places we fund and the number of places local authorities say they will need to create.We have already committed to invest £7 billion on school places, which along with our investment in 500 new free schools we expect to deliver 600,000 new places by 2021. We have also protected the schools budget so that as pupil numbers increase, so will the amount of money in our schools. Revenue allocations to local authorities are calculated by reference to pupil numbers and do not differentiate on the basis of immigration from other EEA member states or countries from outside the EEA.

Teachers: Veterans

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the Troops to Teachers scheme in each year since that scheme began; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The amount spent on the Troops to Teachers scheme by financial year is listed below:Financial yearsAmount spent on the Troops to Teacher scheme2013/14£1.7m2014/15£976,000

Academies

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many representations she has received from headteachers on academisation in each of the last 12 months.

Edward Timpson: The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials at the Department regularly receive many representations from head teachers about schools converting to academies. All of the Department’s responses make clear that the conversion of schools to academies is part of the Government’s commitment to achieve educational excellence everywhere.

Department for Education: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in PQ 36288 on 11 May 2016.

Faith Schools: Islam

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of gender segregation in some Muslim independent schools.

Nick Gibb: Independent schools have to meet the standards set in regulations. If segregation results in disadvantage for pupils of one gender, either directly or through inappropriate modelling of gender roles through staff segregation visible to pupils, then it is likely that the standards have not been met and regulatory action by this Department will follow. If there is a possibility that staff segregation disadvantages staff of one gender and there may be a direct breach of the Equality Act 2010, we will not hesitate to make a referral to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Schools: Admissions

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of selection related to religious beliefs in school admissions on the integration of pupils from different socio-economic, ethnic and religious or non-religious backgrounds in schools; and what steps she is taking to improve such integration.

Nick Gibb: It is for the admission authority of each school to set their own admission arrangements, according to their local circumstances. Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, must ensure their admission arrangements comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.The Code requires that all admissions arrangements must be fair, comply with equalities legislation, and not disadvantage unfairly a child from a particular social or racial group or a child with a disability or special educational needs. If an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, and the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay.The Equality Act requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, to have due regard to the need to foster good relations across all protected characteristics. All schools are legally required to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils and their effectiveness in this is assessed through inspection. In assessing schools’ effectiveness, inspectors take account of the extent to which pupils have an understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.The School Admissions Code is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2

Office of the Schools Adjudicator

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what processes her Department has in place to ensure that determinations issued by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator are acted on by schools.

Nick Gibb: Where the Schools Adjudicator determines that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the School Admissions Code, the admission authority has a statutory duty to revise its admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision within two months of the decision or by 28 February following the decision, whichever is sooner, unless an alternative timescale is specified by the Adjudicator.An Adjudicator’s decision is binding and enforceable by the Secretary of State.

Schools: Admissions

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the levels of awareness among parents of the (a) School Admissions Code and (b) ability to object to a school's admission arrangement through the Office of the Schools Adjudicator; and what steps she plans to take to increase that awareness.

Nick Gibb: The School Admissions Code imposes requirements on local authorities and school admission authorities. Local authorities are responsible for providing parents with the information they require about the admissions process. It is available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2Information about how to object to the Schools Adjudicator is available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/schools-adjudicator-make-an-objection-appeal-or-referral#objections-to-and-referrals-about-determined-school-admission-arrangements

Department for Education: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: As of March 2016, the Department for Education sources approximately 90% of its dairy products from British producers.

Schools: Admissions

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of parents who falsely claim religious beliefs or church attendance in order to get their children into their local school.

Nick Gibb: All school admission authorities must comply with the School Admissions Code. If an admission authority identifies a fraudulent application they can withdraw the offer of a school place.

Sex and Relationship Education: LGBT People

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to update guidance for sex and relationships education so that it is inclusive of LGBT young people.

Edward Timpson: The Government believes that sex and relationship education (SRE) is essential for children’s development and preparation for responsible adult life. The Secretary of State’s guidance makes clear that all schools should ensure that young people, whatever their developing sexuality or identity, feel that SRE is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs. We have received requests about updating the guidance and have made a commitment to develop an action plan for improving PSHE and have agreed to consider updating the 2000 statutory SRE guidance. In her letter of 10 February 2016 to the Education Select Committee, the Secretary of State said that she would consider updating the SRE guidance.

Faith Schools

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect that the proposals in the Education excellence everywhere White Paper, Cm 9230, will have on (a) Church of England and (b) Roman Catholic schools.

Edward Timpson: We value the important and longstanding role played by the Church of England and Catholic Church in our education system. Around 1,200 Church schools have already become academies. The White Paper is clear that Church schools’ role and their religious character will be protected as more become academies. We continue to work closely with the National Society and Catholic Education Service and recently published Memoranda of Understanding to provide a strong basis for our ongoing relationship with Church schools and their dioceses.

Schools: Asbestos

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support the Government plans to provide for the removal of asbestos in maintained schools that are to be converted into academies.

Edward Timpson: The Government takes the issue of asbestos in schools very seriously and is supporting those in schools and responsible bodies who have the legal responsibility for safely managing asbestos in their schools.The Department provides funding to schools to help them keep their school buildings in a good state of repair. Between 2015 and 2018 this investment will total £4.2 billion and schools and responsible bodies are able to use this funding to remove asbestos where that is appropriate.For maintained schools, the local authority as responsible body receives an annual allocation of capital funding to repair and upgrade existing buildings. Local authorities are expected to treat fairly those schools considering conversion to an academy and to honour any commitments of capital funding that they have made, in respect of building projects at those schools.Following conversion, a school can be part of a larger multi-academy trust, a smaller multi-academy trust or a standalone academy. Larger multi-academy trusts (MATs) have access to annual formulaic school condition allocations (SCA), which they can pass on to their constituent schools to address any serious asbestos concerns. For stand-alone academies and academies in smaller multi academy trusts, funding is available through the condition improvement fund (CIF) where they bid for capital funding. As set out in the guidance for prospective bidders, the highest priority is given to health and safety issues due to the poor condition of buildings, including emergency asbestos removal.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on which religious occasions prisoners are eligible for release on temporary licence; and how many prisoners were released on each such occasion in the last year for which information is held.

Andrew Selous: Faith communities can play a significant part in supporting offenders to resettle into the community. Facilities for worship are available in each establishment but, as part of restoring links between the offender and wider community, suitable, risk-assessed offenders may attend worship outside the prison to help them adjust to the climate of non-prison worship and mixing with the community. In addition, temporary release for the purpose of maintaining family ties might be timed so as to coincide with religious occasions. There is no prescription as to the nature of the religious occasion; it is for the governor, on the advice of the temporary release board, to decide whether the activity is linked to the offender’s resettlement plan. Records show that, in 2015, prisoners were released on temporary licence specifically in order to attend a religious service on 90 occasions. Releases on temporary licence (ROTL) recorded as "attend religious service", 2011-2015, England & WalesAttend religious service20112012201320142015Incidences of ROTL23121713922890NB. This is number of occasions a prisoner was released, not number of prisoners released.

Ministry of Justice: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Dominic Raab: I refer the honourable lady to the answer provided by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (36288).

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20722, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the published industry estimates used to formulate the announcement about the motor insurance industry in the Autumn Statement 2015.

Dominic Raab: The Government received data from numerous sources, and the industry estimates do not differ significantly from other available figures. The Government will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders in taking forward the new reforms and will consult on the detail in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

Sentencing: First Offenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of first-time offenders (a) of each ethnic group and (b) for each offence were sentenced to immediate custody in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: This information is published routinely in the Criminal Justice Statistics quarterly bulletin, and can be accessed from the Offending History data tool from the following web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-september-2015

Sentencing: Ethnic Groups

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders of each ethnic group were found guilty of each category of offence in (a) magistrates' courts and (b) Crown courts in the latest year for which figures are available.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders from each ethnic group pleaded guilty for each category of offence in the last year for which information is available.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The number and percentage of offenders found guilty at the Crown Court, by offence group and ethnicity, in England and Wales, in 2014 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 1. The number and percentage of offenders who pleaded guilty at the Crown Court, by offence group and ethnicity, in England and Wales, in 2014 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 2. Plea data at magistrates’ courts are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. It is not possible to present a representative picture of ethnicity at the magistrates’ courts as data on ethnicity is not collected at the magistrates’ courts for all offences.



Numbers of offenders found guilty 2014
(Excel SpreadSheet, 47.5 KB)

Homicide: Ethnic Groups

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, from which ethnic group came each offender convicted of murder in the last five years.

Dominic Raab: The number of offenders found guilty of murder, by ethnicity, in England and Wales from 2010 to 2014 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.Offenders found guilty of murder, by self declared ethnicity, England and Wales, 2010 to 2014 (1)(2)  Ethnicity20102011201220132014  Asian3828321334Black4447595140Mixed111318915Not stated3532395257Chinese or other121232White206222206186185Total346343356314333  (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.  Ref: PQ 36568

Suspended Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sentences of between 12 and 24, months for which offences, have been suspended in each year since the changes made to suspended sentences in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force.

Dominic Raab: Since December 2012, the courts have discretion to suspend a custodial sentence for any offence where the sentence is for two years or less, where previously only sentences of 12 months or less could be suspended. The information requested regarding the length of suspended sentence orders is not centrally held. The number of people given a suspended custodial sentence broken down by offence, in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2014 (the latest data available), can be viewed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 under “Criminal justice statistics outcomes by offence data tool”.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what proportion of cases, in which custody was not recommended by probation in a pre-sentence report a custodial sentence was handed down to people of each (a) ethnic group and (b) gender in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: The tables below are drawn from data published on a quarterly basis, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2015 Table 1: Number and proportion of cases where custody was not recommended by the Probation Service in a Pre-sentence report but a custodial sentence was given by the courts, by gender, 2015, England and Wales (1) Custodial sentence was not recommended by the Probation Service MalesFemalesMales and Females PercentagePercentagePercentageSentence given   Custody14%8%13%All other sentences (2)86%92%87%All100%100%100%1 - Exclude Breach, Court Review and Deferred Sentence reports.2 - All other sentences refer to suspended and community sentences and fine.  Table 2: Number and proportion of cases, where custody was not recommended by the Probation Service in a Pre-sentence report, but a custodial sentence was given by the courts by ethnicity, 2015, England and Wales (1,2,3)Custodial sentence was not recommended by the Probation Service  WhiteMixedAsian or Asian BritishBlack or Black BritishOther ethnic group (1)Not Known (2)All ethnicities  PercentagePercentagePercentagePercentagePercentagePercentagePercentage  Sentence given Custody12%14%16%14%13%15%13% All other sentences (3)88%86%84%86%87%85%87%  All100%100%100%100%100%100%100%  1 - Pre-sentence reports were recorded under the 2011 Census categories which have replaced the 2001 Census categories and therefore Chinese have moved from "Chinese or other ethnic group" to the "Asian/Asian British" category, and the group renamed to "Other ethnic group". This is in line with changes made to the ethnic group classifications in other National Statistic publications in England and Wales following the 2011 Census.  2 - Includes reports where ethnicity is not known either due to no recording or a recording of 'Not Stated'. 3 - All other sentences refer to suspended and community sentences and fine.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female offenders were found guilty in (i) magistrates' courts and (ii) Crown courts for each category of offence in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The number of offenders found guilty at magistrates’ courts and in the Crown Courts, by offence category and sex, in England and Wales, in 2014 (the latest available), is available on the Ministry of Justice website at the below link, from which the percentage of male and female offender can be calculated. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the maximum sentence is a magistrate can hand down when dealing with the breach of the maximum number and length of suspended sentences after the commission of further offences where the maximum number and length of sentences are available for the new offences.

Dominic Raab: Magistrates’ courts have the power to impose a custodial sentence, whether immediate or suspended, of up to six months for a single offence, or up to 12 months where they impose consecutive sentences for one or more offences. A custodial sentence may be suspended for up to two years, and one or more community requirements may also be imposed by the court. When dealing with a breach of a suspended sentence order, there is a statutory presumption that the custodial sentence will be given effect. The suspended custodial sentence cannot be increased: the original term is given effect either in full, or the court may set a shorter period, for example, by taking into account the extent to which the offender complied with any community requirements of the suspended sentence order. Where there is a breach of a suspended sentence order which was imposed by the magistrates’ court and the breach is the commission of a further offence, the magistrates’ court deals with both the breach and sentencing for the further offence unless the latter merits a sentence which exceeds its powers. In these circumstance, the case would be sent to the Crown Court for sentencing of the further offence and the higher court would also deal with the breach of the suspended sentence order.

Sentencing: Ethnic Groups

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average custodial sentence was for each ethnic group for each category of indictable only offence in the latest year for which figures are available.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the custody rate was for offenders of each ethnic group for (a) violence against the person and (b) drugs offences in the latest year for which figures are available.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the custody rate was for each ethnic group for each type of robbery offence committed in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: The average custodial sentence length for sentences given in the Crown Court for each category of indictable only offence, by ethnicity, in 2014, can be found in the sentencing data tool contained in the annual publication. Information including overall sentencing data and those sentenced to immediate custody for the violence against the person and drugs offence groups can also be found in the published table. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 The number of offenders sentenced at all Crown Courts only to immediate custody (including custody rate) for robbery offences, by ethnicity, in England and Wales, in 2014, can be viewed in the table.Offenders sentenced at all Crown Courts only for offences relating to robbery (1), by self-identified ethnicity, England and Wales, 2014 (2)(3)(4) OffenceOutcomeEthnicity  AsianBlackMixedNot statedChinese or otherWhiteAll RobberySentenced282613197393562,6734,214of which   Immediate custody208488149336442,2563,481Custody rate74%80%76%85%79%84%83% Assault with intent to robSentenced353623554of which   Immediate custody333422641Custody rate100%60%100%67%100%74%76% (1) An offence under S8 Theft Act 1968(2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Custody rate represents the proportion of offenders sentenced who are sentenced to immediate custody.Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.  Ref: PQ 36607 It is not possible to present a representative picture of ethnicity at the magistrates Court because data on ethnicity is not collected at the magistrates’ Court for all offences.

Sentencing: Ethnic Groups

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of non-UK nationals of which ethnic groups dealt with in courts were sent to prison for each offence in the last year for which information is available.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The number and proportion of non-UK nationals, their ethnic groups and offences are detailed on the attached table and covers the period of 2015. The government has a longstanding policy to do everything possible to return foreign prisoners to their home country at the earliest opportunity. Offender management statistics, including FNOs, can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2015



Immediate Custodial Sentenced Admissions 2015
(Excel SpreadSheet, 39.5 KB)

Magistrates' Courts

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time is from first appearance to trial in magistrates' courts.

Mr Shailesh Vara: In 2015, of defendants whose cases were completed in the magistrates’ courts, 14% went on to have a trial after first listing. Of those cases, the mean duration from date of first listing to date of trial was 67 days and the median duration was 61 days.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders returned under fixed term recalls have (a) submitted requests to be re-released before the end of the 28 day period and (b) been granted re-release before the end of the 28 day period in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: Any offender who is believed to have committed further offences whilst on licence is liable to be arrested and charged and, if convicted, given a further sentence. If the offence is serious, they can be remanded into custody until trial. Offenders on licence who are charged with further offences are also liable to be recalled, potentially to serve the rest of their sentence in prison, as they will be in breach of the requirement of their licence to be of good behaviour. If the offender is assessed as not presenting a risk of harm to the public they can be assessed as suitable for a shorter, fixed term recall. Those who have been charged with serious sexual or violent offences will not be considered suitable for a fixed term recall.Such offenders can apply for re-release before their automatic re-release date. In the last five years two offenders in 2011, one in 2013 and two in 2015 applied for release. Three of these offenders were subsequently released.

Pre-sentence Reports

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) fast and (b) standard delivery pre-sentence reports were prepared for offenders with (i) no, (ii) one to 14, (iii) 15 to 49, (iv) 50 to 99 and (v) 100 or more previous convictions in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Judiciary: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average salary of (a) a district judge and (b) a magistrate was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The level of pay for the judiciary is based on the recommendation of the independent Senior Salaries Review Body. Magistrates are volunteers and do not receive a salary. The judicial salaries and fee schedules can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/judicial-salaries-and-fees-2016-to-2017

Criminal Proceedings: Prisoners

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what options are available to a magistrates' court when an unrepresented serving prisoner refuses to leave their prison cell to face new either-way offence charges.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Where a magistrates’ court is dealing with a new offence which is triable either-way, and the defendant is an unrepresented serving prisoner who does not attend either in person or through a live link, the court will need to adjourn the case. This will enable either the defendant to attend, or the Crown Prosecution Service to consider alternative procedural routes.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review the length of maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences.

Dominic Raab: We keep maximum penalties under review. This includes sentencing trends, and whether the courts may be finding their sentencing powers inadequate. Data on the average sentence length for animal cruelty can be found in the Outcomes by offence table at the attached link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

Doncaster Prison and Peterborough Prison: Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish a comparative assessment of the proven reoffending rates of the HMP Doncaster and the HMP Peterborough payment by results pilots.

Andrew Selous: We have learned important lessons from these pilots, which have informed our probation reforms. The final process evaluation reports can be found at the following links: 1) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-impact-bond-pilot-at-hmp-peterborough-final-report2) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmp-doncaster-payment-by-results-pilot-process-evaluation-report The PbR pilot operating in HMP Peterborough began on 9 September 2010 and results for cohort 1 of this pilot were published on 7 August 2014. The final set of results will be published in due course. The PbR pilot that operated in HMP Doncaster started in October 2011 and closed at the end of 2014. Results for cohort 1 were published in August 2014 and results for cohort 2 were published in July 2015. The published results can be found at the following links: 3) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-results-for-cohorts-1-payment-by-results-prison-pilotshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/payment-by-results-pilot-cohort-2-hmp-doncaster-results

Prison Sentences

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward regulations to allow re-sentencing of people serving imprisonment for public protection sentences on defined principles specially enacted by Parliament.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make plans to use the statutory powers granted to him by section 128 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 to reform the Parole Board release test.

Dominic Raab: IPP prisoners are released where the Parole Board is satisfied that they can be safely managed in the community.

Prisoners' Release: Homicide

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects the Parole Board to complete its review of the rules on releasing convicted murderers from prison if they refuse to reveal the locations of their victims' bodies.

Andrew Selous: When assessing an offender’s continuing risk for the purposes of deciding whether he or she is eligible for possible release, the independent Parole Board already takes into account any wilful failure on the part of the offender to disclose the whereabouts of their victim’s body. The Parole Board has at my request, agreed to review its guidance on this particular issue as part of a review of all its guidance in 2016.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Edward Vaizey: I refer the my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office today to UIN 36288.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Department does not undertake procurement of dairy products. Catering is available to the department but this is not managed by DCMS.

Advertising Standards Authority

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Advertising Standards Agency.

Mr Edward Vaizey: This Government supports the system of co-regulation and self-regulation, overseen by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This regulatory system is independent of the Government and is ultimately responsible for setting the standards in advertising, ensuring that all adverts, wherever they appear, are legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Department for Work and Pensions

National Insurance Contributions

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department took to raise public awareness of changes to national insurance contributions that will take effect from 2016-17.

Justin Tomlinson: The introduction of the new State Pension means that contracting-out of the additional State Pension ended on 5 April 2016. This changed National Insurance contributions for people in Defined Benefit pension schemes who were previously contracted-out, as these employees paid a lower rate of National Insurance in exchange for contributing towards a workplace pension. These changes have been a part of our significant communications effort around the new State Pension. Proposals to end contracting-out were first published in a 2011 Green Paper “A State Pension for the 21st century” and then in a January 2013 White Paper “The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving”. Proposals went through consultation with employers, pension schemes and their representatives before the Pensions Act was passed in 2014. In November 2014, we launched a public information campaign “Know the Facts” which included specific contracting-out press advertorials, blogs, fact sheets and digital communications. Our new State Pension resource pack has been issued to over 350 organisations and many more employers, to help support them explain the changes to their members and staff, including the change in contracting-out status for their workplace pensions.

Department for Work and Pensions: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Justin Tomlinson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today to UIN: 36288

Social Security Benefits

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2016 to Question 27490, if he will make it his policy to collect information on the time taken from application to making a payment for (a) jobseekers allowance and (b) employment and support allowance.

Priti Patel: Data is already held on the time taken from a claim being received to a decision being made, which the Department views as the more meaningful statistic due to the different rules on payment dates for different benefits.

Department for Work and Pensions: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions occupies space provided through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under the terms of this PFI Contract the Department leases fully serviced accommodation from our private sector partner Telereal Trillium. This Contract provides a variety of facility management services which include catering services. The proportion of dairy products procured by Telereal Trillium for resale in staff restaurants and retail outlets sourced from British producers for the period January – March 2016 is as follows: DWP Dairy Jan-March 2016Dairy Sub-CategoryTotal SpendUK SourcedBritish %Milk£36,347.37£36,347.37100%Cheese£24,494.74£15,181.6962%Yoghurt£5,406.24£5,406.24100%Butter£4,468.500.000%Cream£1,318.58£994.8475% Cheese 62% - A number of non–indigenous cheese lines are procured from the EU. Butter 0% - Spend on butter is low and it is sourced from Ireland

Supported Housing: Housing Benefit

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish its response to its public consultation on housing benefit reform and supported housing.

Justin Tomlinson: In conjunction with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions has recently conducted an evidence-based review of supported accommodation in GB and we expect to publish the report shortly. Alongside this work, as part of our policy review, we will continue to work with and listen to all relevant stakeholders, including the supported housing sector in order to develop a workable and sustainable funding regime.

Supported Housing: Housing Benefit

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of capping housing benefit to the same level as local housing allowance on the number of specialist homes in (a) Sunderland, (b) the North East, and (c) England.

Justin Tomlinson: We recognise the importance of assessing the potential impact on specialist homes. However, as the policy is not yet fully developed we are unable to provide any Information relating to this at this time. For this reason on 1 March 2016 we announced, via a Written Ministerial Statement, that the effect of the LHA cap for those living in social sector supported housing would be deferred by a year, pending the outcome of a review, This means that the measure will only effect those who have taken on or renewed a tenancy from April 2017 rather than April 2016. We have done this because we understand the importance of ensuring that both those living in supported housing and those who provide this type of accommodation receive appropriate protections. This is why we are awaiting the outcome of a “Supported Accommodation” research project and subsequent policy review, to ensure support is focused on the most vulnerable and appropriate groups are safeguarded.

Supported Housing: Housing Benefit

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to provide support for people living in supported housing who will be affected by the cap of housing benefit at the same level as local housing allowance.

Justin Tomlinson: On 1 March 2016 we announced, via a Written Ministerial Statement, that the effect of the LHA cap for those living in social sector supported housing would be deferred by a year, pending the outcome of a review, This means that the measure will only effect those who have taken on or renewed a tenancy from April 2017 rather than April 2016. We have done this because we understand the importance of ensuring that both those living in supported housing and those who provide this type of accommodation receive appropriate protections. This is why we are awaiting the outcome of a “Supported Accommodation” research project and subsequent policy review, to ensure support is focused on the most vulnerable and appropriate groups are safeguarded.

Individual Savings Accounts

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effects on auto enrolment of the roll-out of the lifetime ISA.

Justin Tomlinson: Automatic enrolment is the cornerstone of this Government’s private pension reforms, normalising pension saving and reversing the decade long decline in pension savings prior to introduction in 2012. It has been a great success to date with over 6 million people enrolled and opt-outs low at around 10 per cent. The Lifetime ISA is not a part of the pension system but an additional flexible savings product that can complement pension saving but not replace it. Increasing the choice of savings products available, it aims to support the Government’s ambition to encourage a regular savings habit amongst young people and to create a culture of medium and long term saving at different points in people’s lives. The Budget 2016 Lifetime ISA costing, certified by the OBR, did not anticipate any revenue impact from individuals opting-out of their workplace pensions in order to save into Lifetime ISAs.

Pensions: Advisory Services

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to extend the Pensions Wise service to people (a) between 20 and 40 and (b) between 40 and 50; and if he will make that service available to advise people on whether to invest in a lifetime ISA or under auto enrolment.

Justin Tomlinson: Pension Wise provides free and impartial guidance to those aged 50 and over with a defined contribution pension to help them understand their options. It was announced at the 2015 summer budget that the age for eligibility would be lowered to 50. Pension Wise has developed new content for 50 – 54 year olds to make the guidance appointments more relevant to their needs and this is now live. The government plans to restructure the delivery of public financial guidance to ensure that all consumers can access the help they need when they need it. Pension Wise does not give specific advice on products or provider recommendations. There are currently no plans for Pension Wise to provide guidance on lifetime ISAs or Automatic Enrolment.

Self-employed: Income

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average annual income of self-employed (a) men and (b) women was in each of the last three years.

Priti Patel: Table 1: Estimated median annual earnings from self-employment (£) and total annual income from all sources (£) of all self-employed men and women from 2011/12 to 2013/14. Annual earnings from self-employment (£)Total annual income (£) YearMenWomenMenWomenSample size (self-employed only)2011/1215,1287,14119,22612,6412,6522012/1314,7376,40418,90712,5722,5682013/1413,2007,82116,80012,5802,672  Source: Family Resources SurveyNotes:Figures have been adjusted to 2013/14 prices using CPI and are rounded to the nearest pound (£).Self-employment is defined using the ILO definition.Total annual income is the sum of income from all sources received by the individual, including earnings from all forms of employment, benefits and tax credits, private pensions and investments. This will include benefits and tax credits that are assessed at a benefit unit (or family) level.The Family Resources Survey is a nationally representative sample of UK households.The figures from the Family Resources Survey are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the Family Resources Survey to former Government Office Region population by age and sex. Estimates based on survey data are subject to uncertainty due to sampling error and remaining non-response error.Median self-employment income divides the number of people, when ranked by self-employment income, into two equal-sized groups.

Employment and Support Allowance: Brighton

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of employment and support allowance (ESA) applicants from Brighton and Hove are being sent to (a) Lewes and (b) Vauxhall for assessment; for what reasons such ESA applicants are being sent to those locations; what impact assessment has been made of sending ESA applicants to centres out of their home city; when and how applicants are remunerated for transport costs; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel: All Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers within the Brighton and Hove postcode areas are being asked to attend for an assessment at Lewes Assessment Centre as Lewes is the nearest Assessment Centre to Brighton and Hove. DWP policy ensures that claimants do not have to travel for more than 90 minutes by public transport (single journey) for a consultation. However, this limit is an absolute maximum and for the majority of claimants their journey will be less than this. For example, it would take applicants from Brighton and Hove approximately 20-30 minutes by bus to reach Lewes Assessment centre. All claimants who are asked to travel to an assessment are reimbursed either by cheque or directly into a bank account via BACS. If an ESA customer is unable to attend an appointment, they are asked to contact the provider to discuss their individual circumstances. A home visit can be arranged if there is supportive medical evidence about the claimant’s inability to travel due to their medical condition. ESA claimants are not asked to travel to the Assessment Centre at Vauxhall which is specifically for claimants of Personal Independence Payment and not ESA.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Children in Care

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance had a self-indentified care leaver marker used by his Department against their record in (a) October 2013 to March 2014, (b) April 2014 to March 2015 and (c) April 2015 to September 2015.

Priti Patel: The information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Industrial Health and Safety

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support workplace incentives to promote employee health and reduce sickness-related unemployment.

Justin Tomlinson: We plan to publish a Green Paper later this year, which will set out reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities, including exploring the roles of employers. Employers are key partners in our ambition to halve the disability employment gap, reduce sick absence and promote employee health. Support is offered to employers through initiatives such as Access to Work and Disability Confident which help employers to recruit and retain people with a disability. Public Health England supports local authorities in the provision of a range of resources and services for employers in the area of preventing ill health, including the Workplace Wellbeing Charter.

Health and Work Innovation Fund: Arthritis

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the Health and Work Innovation Fund his Department plans to allocate to programmes for people with arthritis.

Justin Tomlinson: At the spending review, the Work and Health Unit secured £115m of funding, including at least £40m for a Work and Health innovation fund. The Work and Health Innovation Fund will trial new ways to help working age disabled people and people with health conditions get in, stay in, and return to work as well as benefit from improved health outcomes. This will include support for people with musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis.

Access to Work Programme: Arthritis

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Access to Work funding supports people with arthritis.

Justin Tomlinson: Access to Work does not record arthritis as a separate primary medical condition. Access to Work statistics, which include a breakdown of numbers helped by primary medical condition, are published quarterly here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics-on-recipients--2’

Fit for Work Programme: Musculoskeletal Disorders

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Fit For Work scheme have a musculoskeletal condition.

Justin Tomlinson: 2,144 people have been referred to Fit for Work with a musculoskeletal condition since the launch of the programme in March 2015. All statistical information has been provided by either HML or Scottish Government. It has not previously been published and is non-validated.

Work and Health Programme: Arthritis

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Work and Health Programme meets the needs of people with arthritis.

Priti Patel: Development of the Work and Health Programme design is well underway, including engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The Department has commenced the commercial process for the programme by releasing the Prior Information Notice for potential providers on 28 April. Decisions on what the information reporting requirements will be for people with a disability or health condition are yet to be made.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.

George Eustice: Catering services in Defra are provided under a contract which covers the core Department, several of its network bodies and the Department for Energy and Climate Change. The cost of meals served is not subsidised, and spending on food is determined by the contractor based on sales receipts from customers. During the latest period for which figures are available (Jan-Mar 2016) 93% of dairy products sourced under the contract came from UK producers. The remaining 7% is principally accounted for by spending on non-UK cheese used in several popular dishes.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the Rt. Hon Matthew Hancock, on 11 May 2016, to PQ UIN 36288.

Tree Planting: Urban Areas

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support tree planting in towns.

Rory Stewart: The Government recognises the social and environmental benefits of urban trees. We will champion the Vision for a Resilient Urban Forest, developed by the Urban Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committee Network. This Vision sets the direction and challenges local decision makers and communities to consider how they can better value, manage and expand the urban forest in their areas. Millions of schoolchildren across England, mostly in urban areas, will have the chance to plant trees in their communities as part of a Government-backed scheme to give free trees to schools in partnership with the Woodland Trust.

Tree Planting

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on its target to plant 11 million trees by 2020.

Rory Stewart: The Forestry Commission publishes progress against the 11 million trees target quarterly. The latest report shows that over 640,000 trees have been planted towards meeting the 11 million target in 2015. This reflects the fact that we are at the opening stage of a new grant scheme. We are confident that more trees will be planted in the next phases of the scheme.

Ragwort

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has withdrawn the Code of Practice on how to prevent the spread of ragwort; and what plans she has to consult with stakeholders and bring forward  regulations under the Ragwort Control Act 2003.

George Eustice: The Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort is not being withdrawn. The Code will remain available on the GOV.UK website and all interested parties will be consulted if any changes are made in the future.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications to cull badgers are under consideration by her Department; and to which areas those applications relate.

George Eustice: Natural England has received 29 applications or expressions of interest for a badger control licence in areas where the disease is rife, primarily in South West England.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Hotels

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of hotel bookings her Department made for its (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: Core Defra uses a single provider for all travel and hotel bookings. Provision of this service began in May 2012. Information relating to hotel bookings made prior to that date, through a different provider, is not available. This table sets out spend on hotels in financial years 2012-13 (from May 2012 onwards) to 2015-16: 2012-13 (£)2013-14 (£)2014-15 (£)2015-16 (£)Ministers 1,5302,4613,1571,139Special Advisers2,9521,5982,066563Officials425,676665,583743,896472,544

Department for Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Devolution

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the benefit to local economies of Devolution Deals.

James Wharton: The benefits of devolution to areas that have agreed devolution deals with the Government will be significant and far-reaching. Local leaders will be given direct control over the levers of growth in their economies, with the most ambitious deals including new powers over adult skills and transport budgets, and substantial, long-term investment funds. For example, the West Midlands will receive over £1 billion of additional investment to deliver locally determined growth priorities. By providing local partners with greater control over key policies and resources, devolution deals offer places more of the tools they need to drive forward growth for the benefit of the whole local economy.

Social Rented Housing: Immigrants

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the additional housing needed to provide (a) private and (b) social sector accommodation for immigrants from (i) the EU and (ii) non-EU countries in each year to 2020.

Brandon Lewis: The Department has not made estimates of the addition private and social housing needed to provide accommodation for immigrants from EU and non-EU countries.

Housing: Immigrants

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research his Department has commissioned on the effect of immigration on the demand for (a) housing and (b) social housing.

Brandon Lewis: The Department published statistics on average household growth in December 2015, including the proportion attributable to net migration. The department has not commissioned research on how immigration affects the demand for social housing.

Communities and Local Government: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

James Wharton: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today. UIN: 36288

Multiple Occupation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions relating to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) under the Housing Act 2004 on the (a) incidence of landlords renting to families rather than sharers and (b) availability of affordable housing for young professional sharers; and if he will bring forward proposals to make HMOs more accessible to young professional sharers.

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not collect this information. We see houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) as one of the most accessible tenures, especially for young professionals.We are working to increase supply by accelerating the development of a new market for private renters, including the £1 billion Build to Rent Fund, which funds development of new purpose-built privately rented homes, alongside a £10 billion debt guarantee programme.

Communities and Local Government: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Mark Francois: The Department for Communities and Local Government sources 75% of its dairy products from British producers as at March 2016.

Supporting People Programme: Devon

Mr Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure that the Supported People programme funding to local authorities reaches vulnerable people in Devon.

Mr Marcus Jones: Funding for the Supporting People Grant was rolled into the local government finance settlement in 2011-12. Decisions on how money should be spent are best made by local authorities. Local authorities have the freedom and flexibility to prioritise and make their own decisions on how they spend their budgets.

Community Relations

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects Louise Casey's review of opportunity and integration in isolated and deprived communities to be (a) completed and (b) published.

Mr Marcus Jones: The review is expected to be completed and published shortly.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

David Mundell: I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today to UIN 36288.

Scotland Office: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has no in-house catering services and does not separately record the purchase of dairy products.

Iron and Steel: Scotland

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the recently announced steel support package on the steel industry in Scotland.

Anna Soubry: On 28th April, ownership of Tata’s mills in Dalzell and Clydebridge passed to Liberty. The package announced on 21st April is to support a sale of the remaining Tata sites. However, the Scottish plant will benefit from our wider action to help the steel industry, including compensating energy costs.

UK Membership of EU: Scotland

Callum McCaig: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Scotland of the UK leaving the EU.

David Mundell: I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon Members for North Ayrshire and Arran, Paisley and Renfrewshire North, Ochil and South Perthshire, Motherwell and Wishaw, Angus and East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow.

UK Membership of EU: Scotland

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Scotland of the UK leaving the EU.

David Mundell: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon Members for North Ayrshire and Arran, Paisley and Renfrewshire North, Ochil and South Perthshire, Motherwell and Wishaw, Angus and East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow.

Local Government: Scotland

David Rutley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what progress he has made on implementing City Deals in Scotland.

David Mundell: We are making good progress, with the Glasgow and Clyde Valley, Aberdeen City Region and Inverness deals all now being implemented. There are a number of other cities and regions considering proposals, including Edinburgh and South East Scotland as announced by the Chancellor in the budget.

HM Treasury

Landfill Communities Fund

Ian Austin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from (a) landfill operators and (b) environmental bodies on the proposed removal of third party contributions from the Landfill Communities Fund; and whether he plans to change that proposal in response to those representations.

Damian Hinds: Since its introduction in 1996, the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) has contributed over £1.4bn to community projects in areas affected by a local landfill site and the government acknowledges the positive impact of this funding for communities. However, as the LCF is a tax credit scheme, it reduces tax revenues and we therefore have a responsibility to seek value for money for the taxpayer. Despite difficult decisions on spending, the government has decided to retain and reform the LCF. Following representations on the issue of contributing third parties, the government softened proposals in this area at Budget 2016, and the requirement for a 10% landfill operator contribution has not been set in legislation. However, the government wants landfill operators to make a greater contribution to the LCF, and the regulator of the scheme, ENTRUST, has published guidance setting out this expectation.

Community Amateur Sports Clubs Scheme

Karl McCartney: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what communication his Department had with the EU Commission when developing the rules of the revised community amateur sports club scheme (a) in general and (b) on the implications of the Commission's view as expressed in State Aid SA.38208 (2014/NN) that tax relief to member-owned golf clubs does not constitute state aid.

Karl McCartney: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the rule under the new community amateur sports club scheme that requires a minimum of 50 per cent of club members to participate at least 12 times a year, how that threshold was decided and what evidence and consultation that decision was based on.

Karl McCartney: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information the Government collects on the reasons for clubs leaving the community amateur sports club scheme.

Karl McCartney: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many community amateur sports clubs (CASCs) in each (a) constituency and (b) sport had de-registered, or were in the process of de-registering, from the CASC scheme by 1 April 2016.

Karl McCartney: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many community amateur sports clubs were registered at the end of each financial year since 2010.

Karl McCartney: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice HM Revenue and Customs received before reaching its decision to set the cost of participation threshold at £520 per annum as part of the new Community Amateur Sports Club scheme rules; and how the level of that threshold was decided.

Damian Hinds: The new regulations for CASCs were introduced on 1 April 2015. All the changes made were necessary to reinforce the original spirit of the scheme requiring clubs to be open to the whole community, with the promotion of participation in sport as their main purpose. The Government consulted widely with the sector on all the changes to the scheme. It was aware that there was confusion about the meaning of participation prior to the consultation period for the new regulations. Responses to the consultation were mostly supportive of the 12 times a year rule for participation. The scheme does not permit clubs to impose fees which are a significant obstacle to membership. The vast majority of CASCs charge less than £520 for annual membership. To make membership more accessible, clubs with higher costs associated with membership are required to make provisions for those who can’t afford to pay more than £520 a year. If no suitable arrangements are made this club is not able to be a CASC because it is not considered to be open to the whole community. During the development of the new CASC regulations the Government was aware of State aid complaint SA.38208 (2014/NN). At the time, the Government was only asked to provide a response to the complaint. The Government provided this response, explaining why the CASC scheme was not State aid. The Commission’s subsequent ruling confirmed this view. Since the introduction of the new regulations all CASCs were given a 12-month period of grace to make any necessary changes to remain in the scheme. The Government wrote to all registered CASCs explaining the new regulations and asked clubs to complete a self-assessment checklist on income, membership and participation levels. They were also asked to contact HMRC if they did not meet the new requirements. From 1 April 2016, 500 clubs have been deregistered as CASCs, affecting some 35 different types of sport. Since 2010 there has been a steady increase in the numbers of CASCs registered in the scheme. Although the Government does not yet have figures for clubs registered as at 5 April 2016, the breakdown of figures since 2010 is: 5630 – 5 April 20105976 – 5 April 20116165 – 5 April 20126334 – 5 April 20136571 – 5 April 20146715 – 5 April 2015.

Revenue and Customs: Business Plans

Rob Marris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 24317, when HM Revenue and Customs plans to publish its Business Plan for 2016-17.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs published its Single Departmental Plan 2015 to 2020 on 19th February 2016, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-single-departmental-plan-2015-to-2020

Developing Countries: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2016 to Question 2381, how much funding has been allocated to HM Revenue and Customs' dedicated team of experts to tackle tax avoidance and evasion in developing countries in each year since the establishment of that team; how many full-time equivalent staff have been employed in that team in each of those years; and what estimate he has made of the amount of taxation which that team has recovered.

Mr David Gauke: Following on from the Chancellor's announcement in the 2014 Autumn Statement that £1.8m spread over three years was to be made available, HMRC established a new tax experts capacity building unit in April 2015 to provide dedicated technical support to developing countries on G20/OECD international tax priority areas, including Transfer Pricing, Exchange of Information and Base Erosion and Profit Sharing.

Taxation: British Overseas Territories

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32849, how much has been recovered from companies incorporated in each of the British Overseas Territories in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold the requested information. The information requested is not available in this format.

Business: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the table on page 59 of the HM Revenue and Customs' document, Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition: methodological annex published in October 2015, if he will provide (a) the same data on corporation tax risks for the (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 financial years and (b) the same risk data for the other taxes to which large businesses are subject.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs published its latest tax gap estimates on 22 October 2015 in Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470540/HMRC-measuring-tax-gaps-2015-1.pdf. A Methodological Annex was also published on the same date at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469973/HMRC-Measuring-tax-gaps-2015-methodological-annex.pdf. The number of Corporation Tax risks for Large Business Service groups are set out in table 7.2, page 63 of ‘Measuring tax gaps’ 2015 edition. These figures are not yet available for the years requested due to the lengthy nature of some tax enquiries. Different methodologies are used to estimate tax gaps for other taxes paid by large businesses, and therefore the information requested on risk data for other taxes is not available.

Treasury: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Mr David Gauke: I refer the my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today to UIN: 36288

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Will Quince: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has analysed the potential economic effect of the soft drinks levy on the British soft drinks manufacturing industry.

Damian Hinds: The government will shortly be consulting on the detail of the soft drinks industry levy, and we will publish an initial impact assessment alongside the consultation. This assessment will be updated and refined when the policy detail is finalised. For Finance Bill measures, HMRC provide a Tax Impact Information Note alongside the draft Finance Bill legislation, which we expect to publish in the winter.

Business: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph H.21 of the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) document, Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition: methodological annex, published in October 2015, how much of the large business tax gap in each year since 2009-10 is accounted for by (a) the uplift factor for unidentified risks, (b) unsuccessful litigation by HMRC and (c) HMRC settling for a tax receipt at a lower rate than the tax under consideration that was identified.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published its latest tax gap estimates on 22 October 2015 in Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470540/HMRC-measuring-tax-gaps-2015-1.pdfThe uplift factor for unidentified risks is set out in Table 7.1, page 62. HMRC’s method for calculating the Large Business Tax Gap is set out on page 65. All compliance work including litigation is reflected in the estimate of compliance yield shown in Table 7.1. Footnote 6 sets out why this differs from reported compliance yield. The information requested is therefore not available. HMRC collects the tax due under the law in accordance with the published Litigation and Settlement Strategy.

Business: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraphs H.21 to H.6 of the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) document, Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition: methodological annex, published in October 2015, for how many large businesses HMRC tax specialists carried out a detailed review of accounts and CT returns when working out their tax under consideration in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: Until 31 March 2014, HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Large Business Service dealt with the tax affairs of around 800 of the largest businesses in the UK. From 1 April 2014 HMRC’s Large Business directorate deals with the tax affairs of around 2,000 large businesses.  HMRC subject large businesses to an exceptional level of scrutiny for all taxes and duties, with half of all the large businesses managed by HMRC’s Large Business directorate under active enquiry at any one time (rising to over two thirds of the very largest and most complex 800 businesses in the UK).

Individual Savings Accounts

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the increase in the value of additional savings that will be made by people as a result of the establishment of the lifetime ISA announced in Budget 2016.

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 9 of Budget 2016: policy costings, published in March 2016, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) the lifetime ISA and (b) the increase in the ISA annual limit.

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential increase in the number of people saving as a result of the establishment of the lifetime ISA announced in Budget 2016.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is creating a new Lifetime ISA, providing savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time. From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to open and save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government, paid annually after the end of the tax year. The annual ISA savings limit for all adults will increase to £20,000 from April 2017. People can make full withdrawals from their Lifetime ISA accounts for a first home purchase (subject to a house price cap of £450,000 UK-wide) or from age 60. These withdrawals will be tax free. i) An estimate of the Exchequer impact from this policy was set out in Table 2.1 of the Budget 2016 document, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508113/B2016Table_2.1.xlsx The table below shows how this estimated Exchequer impact breaks down into that which is from Lifetime ISA and the increase in the ISA limit to £20,000.£ millions2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-21Lifetime ISA and raise ISA limit to £20,000Neg-170-330-590-850Of which is Lifetime ISAneg-170-330-580-830Of which is ISA limit increase00neg-10-20ii) and iii) Estimates are not available.

Business: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to tables 1.2 and 1.4 of HM Revenue and Customs' document, Measuring tax gaps, published in October 2013, what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the reasons for which the corporation tax gap for large businesses has narrowed as a percentage while the overall percentage tax gap for large businesses has remained the same since 2009-10; and if he will estimate the large business tax gap for each tax in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published its latest tax gap estimates on 22 October 2015 in Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470540/HMRC-measuring-tax-gaps-2015-1.pdf Tables 1.2 and 1.4 of the Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition show different information. Table 1.2 looks specifically at the large business Corporation Tax gap as a percentage of theoretical liabilities for large business Corporation Tax, and Table 1.4 expresses the tax gap for all large businesses taxes (including VAT and income taxes) as a percentage of all theoretical liabilities for all HMRC customer groups. Trends in tax gaps for specific taxes and customer groups are different. Measuring Tax Gaps does not include full detailed segmentation, such as the requested large business customer group by type of tax, as a number of segments at this level are not sufficiently robust for publication. Table 6.9 on page 53 provides information on the estimated tax gap for large employers.

Black Economy and Tax Evasion

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to table 1.5 of HM Revenue and Customs' document, Measuring tax gaps, published in October 2013, how much revenue was lost as a result of the tax gap in (a) tax evasion and (b) the hidden economy in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs published its latest tax gap estimates on 22 October 2015 in Measuring tax gaps 2015 edition. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470540/HMRC-measuring-tax-gaps-2015-1.pdf The tax gap by behaviour is set out in Figure 1.6 (page 11) and Table 1.5 (page 19). As behaviour estimates are made using management assumptions and judgement, they should be used as a broad indication.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Questions 33571 and 33572, how many tax auditors HM Revenue and Customs provided to Tax Inspectors Without Borders in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: The UK’s first Tax Inspectors Without Borders Agreement was signed in December 2015. A partnership agreement was signed with Lesotho committing the UK to a two and a half year programme of assistance. Two HMRC tax experts will be providing support under this Agreement.

Tax Havens

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32849, which 90 countries will provide automatic offshore account and trust data to the UK; which responsible authorities in the UK will be able to access that data; and whether the 90 countries referred to will also be able to access automatic offshore account and trust data held by the UK.

Mr David Gauke: The UK expects to receive information from the following jurisdictions under the automatic exchange of information agreements it has, or will soon have, in place.  AlbaniaColombiaHong KongMarshall IslandsSeychellesAndorraCook IslandsHungaryMauritiusSingaporeAnguillaCosta RicaIcelandMexicoSint MaartenAntigua & BarbudaCroatiaIndiaMonacoSlovak RepublicArgentinaCuracaoIndonesiaMontserratSloveniaArubaCyprusIrelandNetherlandsSouth AfricaAustriaCzech RepublicIsle of ManNew ZealandSpainBahamasDenmarkIsraelNiueSwedenBarbadosDominicaItalyNorwaySwitzerlandBelgiumEstoniaJapanPolandTrinidad & TobagoBelizeFaroe IslandsJerseyPortugalTurkeyBermudaFinlandKoreaQatarTurks & Caicos IslandsBrazilFranceKuwaitRomaniaUnited Arab EmiratesBritish Virgin IslandsGermanyLatviaRussian FederationUruguayBrunei DarassulamGhanaLiechtensteinSt Kitts & NevisUnited States*BulgariaGibraltarLithuaniaSt Lucia CanadaGreeceLuxembourgSt Vincent & the Grenadines Cayman IslandsGreenlandMacaoSamoa ChileGrenadaMalaysiaSan Marino ChinaGuernseyMaltaSaudi Arabia   *The United States has committed to move to full reciprocation of data exchange under the Inter-Governmental Agreement of 12 September 2012. The domestic legislation required in the US for this to happen has not yet been put in place and we have no indication of when this will happen. Until then the UK will continue to receive limited information collected by the Internal Revenue Service under existing regulations –this pertains to interest bearing financial accounts, but not trusts. The use of the information received is governed by the international agreements under which it is exchanged. As these are international agreements concerned with taxation matters, the information is restricted in its use to the administration, assessment, and collection of taxes covered by the agreement in question for each jurisdiction. As these are functions of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), only HMRC can use the information without further recourse to the sending jurisdiction and the primary use must be the functions of HMRC. Sharing the information found to be relevant to other Government Agencies with those other Agencies is only permitted where the international agreement allows it, and the sending jurisdiction gives express permission that it can be so shared by HMRC. HMRC will always seek to share the information where relevant and possible, and it is our policy to ensure that new agreements and amendments to existing agreements allow such sharing. The UK expects that most of the automatic exchange agreements with the jurisdictions listed above will be reciprocal. However, not all jurisdictions require information from the UK and in those cases the UK will receive information but send nothing the other way.

Business: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many large businesses were recorded on HM Revenue and Customs' database in each year since 2009-10; how many full-time equivalent staff were on the payrolls of such businesses; and how much in each business tax was paid by such businesses in each of those years.

Mr David Gauke: Until 31 March 2014, HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Large Business Service dealt with the tax affairs of around 800 of the largest businesses in the UK. From 1 April 2014 HMRC’s Large Business directorate deals with the tax affairs of around 2,000 large businesses.  HMRC does not centrally hold large business receipts data for every tax heading, the information for every tax heading could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The number of large businesses and the tax receipts data held centrally for large businesses is: HMRC’s Large Business directorate:Number of BusinessesCorporation TaxIncome Tax, National InsuranceVATHydrocarbon OilsAlcohol & Tobacco2014-152,145£20bn£85bn£52bn£27bn£14bn HMRC’s Large Business Service:Number of BusinessesCorporation TaxIncome Tax, National InsuranceVATHydrocarbon OilsAlcohol & Tobacco2013-14818£17bn£68bn£41bn£26bn£13bn2012-13803£17bn£64bn£41bn£26bn£13bn2011-12783£21bn£65bn£40bn£26bn£13bn2010-11778£21bn£62bn£34bn£26bn£10bn2009-10760£20bn£58bn£30bn£24bn£11bn The number of full-time equivalent staff on the payrolls of businesses is not required for tax purposes and HMRC does not hold it.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether industry analysts data was consulted in preparing the soft drinks industry levy.

Damian Hinds: Information on the key data and assumptions underpinning the costing of the soft drinks industry levy announced at Budget 2016 is available at page 12 in the Budget 2016 policy costings document available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508147/PU1912_Policy_Costings_FINAL3.pdf

Gaming Machines: Taxation

Lady Hermon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has accrued to the public purse from use of fixed-odds betting terminals in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) England in each of the last six years.

Damian Hinds: This information is not available. This is because HMRC do not ask for a country-by-country breakdown on the taxpayer’s return.

Gaming Machines: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of fixed-odds betting terminals operating in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

Damian Hinds: Regulation of Fixed Odds betting Terminals is devolved and in Northern Ireland it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities.

Taxation: Developing Countries

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33610, how much funding the Government has allocated to (a) the Global Forum, (b) the World Bank, (c) the OECD and (d) each developing country to (i) improve the exchange of information to help tackle tax avoidance and (ii) improve tax capacity-building in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: The UK government is committed to tackling tax avoidance at the global level and is supportive of using tax policy to help fund sustainable development. We support much of the work international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, undertake in the area of international tax. The OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project reviewed the international tax rules to ensure profits are taxed where economic activities are performed. The UK government is committed to consistent and effective implementation of the OECD BEPS outputs. Since 2009-10, the UK government has contributed £339,580 in 2012-13 and £394,789 in 2015-16. In addition, the UK government supports and contributes to the work of the OECD’s Global Forum on addressing the risks to tax compliance posed by non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. The UK government does not hold specific figures for the amount of official development assistance (ODA) spent on tax and development for the years since 2009-10.Until recently, it was not possible to disaggregate funding for tax reform and capacity building from wider public financial management programmes.

Money Laundering

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 6.7 of the UK national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing, published in October 2015, how many money laundering cases investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had funds initially moved through (a) banks, (b) money service businesses and (c) each other item on HMRC's database in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not record data on its money laundering investigations in this way.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in HM Revenue and Customs' Criminal Finance Intelligence Operations branch in each year since 2009-10; and (a) how much was recovered by that branch, (b) how many bank accounts were closed by that branch and (c) how many referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service were made by that branch in each of those years.

Mr David Gauke: The information is not held in the form requested. The Criminal Finance Intelligence Operations team in HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) was formed on 1 April 2015 and so statistics for periods before this are not available. The team is an intelligence gathering operation. The intelligence they gather assists others in HMRC to recover funds and refer cases onto the Crown Prosecution Service.

Companies: Ownership

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which developing countries will be able to access data on the beneficial ownership of companies incorporated in (a) other EU countries and (b) British Overseas Territories.

Mr David Gauke: Countries can request company beneficial ownership information from foreign jurisdictions through Mutual Legal Assistance and other information sharing arrangements such as the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. Furthermore, more than 30 countries have now joined the initiative to automatically share beneficial ownership information among participants. The statement setting out which countries have so far joined the initiative can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/520459/statement_on_the_initiative_for_exchange_of_beneficial_ownership_information.pdf.

Companies: Ownership

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which competent authorities in the UK will be able to access data on the beneficial ownership of companies incorporated in (a) other EU countries and (b) British Overseas Territories.

Harriett Baldwin: All UK competent authorities can request company beneficial ownership information from foreign jurisdictions through Mutual Legal Assistance and other information sharing arrangements such as the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. Furthermore, more than 30 countries have now joined the initiative to automatically share beneficial ownership information among participants (the statement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/520459/statement_on_the_initiative_for_exchange_of_beneficial_ownership_information.pdf). The Prime Minister also recently announced that UK law enforcement and tax agencies will have full access to information on the beneficial ownership of companies incorporated in all UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies (except Guernsey).

Taxation: International Cooperation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with which countries the UK has negotiated agreements on the exchange of tax information which (a) are in compliance with the OECD's standard for such agreements and (b) provide for the automatic exchange of tax information since the OECD's standard was released in July 2014.

Mr David Gauke: The UK has exchange of tax information agreements with 142 different jurisdictions, through Double Taxation Agreements and Tax Information Exchange Agreements, and also as party to the OECD/Council of Europe Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the ‘Multilateral Convention’). A list of the international agreements the UK is party to can be found on Gov.uk under ‘Tax Treaties’, and details of which jurisdictions have entered the Multilateral Convention into force alongside the UK can be found on the OECD website. Of the 142 international tax agreements the UK is party to, only the following 12 do not meet the international standard for exchange of information on request:EgyptFijiGambiaIsraelJamaicaKenyaNamibiaOmanPapua new GuineaSri LankaSwazilandZimbabwe  That international standard does not apply to automatic exchange. The standard for automatic exchange the question refers to (as published by the OECD in July 2014) is the Common Reporting Standard, the globally acceptable standard on automatic exchange of information with respect of financial accounts information. The means of ensuring this standard was through a common Competent Authority Agreement, which supplements the international tax agreement allowing for exchange of tax information, rather than being an international tax agreement itself. There is no standard for automatic exchange in international tax agreements; just whether the agreement allows for it or not. It is the UK policy to interpret international tax agreements to allow automatic exchange even where not expressly stated, with the exception of cases where the exchange of information provision clearly uses restrictive wording that would preclude such an exchange.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff of HM Revenue and Customs have had the power of arrest in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke: The number of HM Revenue & Customs officers with the power of arrest is constantly fluctuating and it is not possible to give figures for each year from 2009-10. The total number of officers recorded as having powers of arrest in April 2016 was 1449.

Taxation: International Cooperation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on promoting a fair global tax system at the Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016.

Mr David Gauke: Treasury Ministers are in regular dialogue with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. This Government has played a leading role in tackling avoidance and aggressive tax planning, driving fundamental reform of the international tax rules and standards. We helped initiate the G20-Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project to make sure multinationals pay tax on profits where the economic activities that give rise to these are located. We have led the way in terms of implementation; legislating for the OECD model for country-by-country reporting to tax authorities, and adopting the OECD recommendations for hybrid mismatch arrangements and interest restriction. At the Anti-Corruption Summit, we will seek to galvanize a global response to tackle corruption, as well as dealing with issues including corporate secrecy, government transparency, the enforcement of international anti-corruption laws, and the strengthening of international institutions. It will be an important opportunity for the Government to make the case for further international action on tax transparency.

Accountancy: Registration

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many accountancy (a) practitioners and (b) firms are supervised by (i) HM Revenue and Customs and (ii) each of the other accountancy bodies; and how many such practitioners and firms have been (A) investigated for suspected money laundering and (B) struck off as a result of such investigations.

Mr David Gauke: There are 15 supervisors of the accountancy service provider (ASP) sector in the United Kingdom, including HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). 13,131 ASPs are registered with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision. The professional accountancy bodies listed in Schedule 3 to the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 between them supervise 32,069 firms and individuals. Whilst the statistics vary between bodies as to the number of individuals supervised compared to firms, 18,872 of the 32,069 have been identified as individuals. HMRC does not record statistics for its investigations in a way that enables figures relating to ASPs to be separately identified. HMRC does not hold data about practitioners and firms investigated or struck off by other supervisory bodies.

Financial Services: Registration

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies in each business sector have been registered with HM Revenue and Customs' Supervised Business Register in each year since 2009-10; and what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of companies which were not registered with a professional body as required by anti-money laundering regulations in each such year.

Mr David Gauke: The number of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) anti-money laundering supervision registrations by sector in each year since 2009 are given in the table below. HMRC does not have an estimate of businesses not registered for supervision that should be, but as part of its supervisory role actively undertakes to identify such businesses by using its own data and working with other supervisors and agencies.  End of year…2009/20102010/20112011/20122012/20132013/20142014/20152015/2016Money Service Business registrations*3,5853,6333,6913,4802,8502,3732,177High Value Dealer registrations1,1731,1931,3321,3361,2941,035881Accountancy Service Provider registrations12,68912,94113,00913,15113,24613,12013,131Trust or Company Service Provider registrations2,3012,3402,4422,5312,5772,6402,729Estate Agency Business registrations**7,8098,7109,305Total registrations***18,21918,57018,79918,74018,18226,03226,371* From 2011/2012, the Money Service Business (MSB) sector includes a very small number of Bill Payment Service Providers (BPSPs) and Telecommunications, Digital and IT Payment Service Providers (TDITPSPs)** Before 2013/2014 Estate Agency Businesses (EABs) were supervised by the Office of Fair Trading. HMRC is now the sole supervisor of EABs.*** The sums of sector breakdowns are less than the total registration figures because a business may be registered for more than one sector. HMRC does not double-count businesses when calculating total registrations.

Personal Pensions

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people accessed personal pensions between (a) April 2015 and April 2016 and (b) April 2014 and April 2015.

Mr David Gauke: The Government does not have information on all payments from personal pensions taken since April 2014. Information on the taxable element of pension flexibility lump sums taken since April 2015 is collated and published quarterly by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). However, this includes other types of private pensions such as occupational pensions, not just personal pensions. This also provides details of the number of people who have taken these payments. The publication can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/flexible-payments-from-pensions. Equivalent information for the period April 2014 to April 2015 is not held, as HMRC only began to collect this information after the introduction of pensions freedom and choice.

Money Laundering: EU Law

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to Question 23205 of 22 January 2016, when the consultation on transposition of the EU's Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive will begin.

Harriett Baldwin: The consultation on the transposition of the EU’s 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive will take place later this year and, once issued, will run for 12 weeks.

PAYE: Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what checks his Department makes on PAYE real time information data before it is forwarded to the Department for Work and Pensions to calculate universal credit.

Mr David Gauke: Data validation rules are built in to stop obvious errors at the point of filing. In addition, there are matching rules built within the system to ensure that the information matches to the correct customer. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions continually monitor the quality of Real Time Information to understand errors. HMRC uses this information to support customer education and if appropriate develop system enhancements to prevent errors occurring.

Banks: Standards

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Financial Conduct Authority takes to ensure the chairs and boards of directors of banks adhere to commitments made within their published customer charters.

Harriett Baldwin: This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the hon Member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Business: Taxation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many reports of sanctions breaches were made to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in each year since 2009-10; how many of those alleged breaches concerned businesses in HM Revenue and Customs' large business database; in how many such cases (a) the OFSI identified wrongdoing and (b) made a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution in each such year.

Harriett Baldwin: The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation was established on 31st March 2016 however breaches of financial sanctions have previously been reported to HM Treasury. There are 441 records of alleged breaches reported to HM Treasury between September 2013 and December 2015. There are no records prior to September 2013. HM Treasury does not hold the requested information regarding HMRC's large business database. HM Treasury does not determine wrongdoing but works closely with UK law enforcement to deal with suspected breaches. It is a matter for law enforcement to make any referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Petrol Alternatives

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department last conducted a review of the Alternative Fuels Framework.

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which transport emissions are factored into the assessment of fuels within the Alternative Fuels Framework.

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the latest assessment of liquefied petroleum gas within the Alternative Fuels Framework.

Damian Hinds: The Alternative Fuels Framework (AFF) was set out at Pre-Budget Report 2003, and focused on carbon emissions. Based on the evidence available at the time on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the AFF found LPG to result in greater natural environmental damage compared to other road fuel gases. It was determined that the environmental case for LPG was poorer than diesel and so its duty differential should be reduce over time. The government continues to review evidence concerning the environmental impact of LPG and will announce any changes to the tax treatment at fiscal events.

EU Grants and Loans

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of funding the UK is due to receive in each year to 2030 of (a) regional development funds and (b) structural funds under future EU multi-annual financial frameworks.

Mr David Gauke: The amount allocated by year to each operational programme for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF) in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the 2014-2020 period is set out in table 1.6 of the United Kingdom’s Partnership Agreement with the European Commission, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-uk-partnership-agreement. ERDF and ESF allocations beyond the 2014-2020 period will be agreed as part of future European Union Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Department for Energy and Climate Change: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Amber Rudd: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to her by my rt. hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today to Question 36288: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-05-03/36288/.

Electricity Generation

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information her Department holds on the viability of molten salt reactors to generate electricity.

Andrea Leadsom: In 2012, DECC published an ‘Assessment of advanced reactor systems against UK performance metrics’, which it had commissioned from the National Nuclear Laboratory. This analysis covered molten salt reactors. These can be found online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65502/6299-assessment-reactor-systems-uk-metrics.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65503/6302-addendum-assessment-reactor-metrics.pdf.

Heating: Solar Power

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on the role of solar thermal technologies in meeting the UK's renewable heat targets.

Andrea Leadsom: Under the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive the UK has a target to deliver 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The government recognises that solar thermal can contribute towards the attainment of the renewable energy target. In 2014, renewable heat provided 2730 tonnes of oil equivalent, around 20% of total renewable energy. Around 2% of renewable heat came from solar thermal.  Source:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

Solar Power

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the proposed removal of Government support for solar thermal energy on the (a) UK solar thermal and (b) solar cylinder manufacturing industry.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government’s recent consultation on reform of the Renewable Heat Incentive included a proposal to withdraw RHI support for solar thermal technologies. The consultation closed on 27 April. In taking a decision on the future of support for solar thermal we will consider all relevant factors including potential effects on the UK supply chain.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the proposals of the French government to sell assets to raise capital to fund Hinkley Point C on the viability of that project.

Andrea Leadsom: EDF and the French Government have agreed a way forward on financing of the company. The chairman of EDF has begun a non-binding consultation with the company council ahead of a final investment decision, which is a commercial matter for EDF. The British Government and EDF are both confident that Hinkley will go ahead. The French Government also remain fully committed to the project.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what duties officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary who reach 50 years of age in service are expected to perform under their contracts.

Andrea Leadsom: All Civil Nuclear Constabulary police officers are required to be Authorised Firearms Officers. As such, officers undertake a number of tasks and must meet fitness and capability standards which have been set by the College of Policing regardless of age or gender.

Energy: Competition

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recent proposals published by the Competition and Markets Authority on competition in the energy market on 22 April 2016.

Andrea Leadsom: The Competition and Markets Authority has produced a strong package of provisional remedies which will help deliver a fair deal to all consumers. They build on action already taken by the Government to improve competition. The Government will take forward appropriate implementation of the remedies once the Competition and Markets Authority has finalised its recommendations which are due by June.

Offshore Industry: Helicopters

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will bring forward proposals to give the Oil and Gas Authority powers to regulate commercial decisions in the offshore helicopter industry.

Andrea Leadsom: The Civil Aviation Authority regulates the offshore helicopter industry.

Fossil Fuels: Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to consult trades unions for UK oil and gas workers on the development of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas's plan for the UK oil and gas workforce.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are engaging with a range of stakeholders as the UK oil and gas workforce plan is developed.

Fossil Fuels: Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas to publish its plan for the UK oil and gas workforce.

Andrea Leadsom: We expect to publish the UK Oil and Gas Workforce plan shortly.

Oil and Gas Ministerial Group

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish the membership of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas.

Andrea Leadsom: The membership of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas is:  Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd MP, DECC Secretary of State (Chair)Rt. Hon. Oliver Letwin MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterRt. Hon. Anna Soubry MP, Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and EnterpriseDamian Hinds MP, Exchequer SecretaryRt. Hon. David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for ScotlandThe Lord Price, Minister of State for Trade and InvestmentAndrea Leadsom MP, Minister of State for EnergyDr Andy Samuel, Chief Executive of the Oil and Gas Authority.

Fossil Fuels: Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on what dates the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas met representatives from that industry to discuss its plan for the UK oil and gas workforce.

Andrea Leadsom: The members of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas regularly meet with industry in their roles and use this to inform the group’s work.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish Government plans to enable officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to attend incidents requiring an armed response in support of territorial police forces.

Andrea Leadsom: The Civil Nuclear Constabulary and territorial police forces offer mutual support through individual agreements. It would not be appropriate to comment further on operational plans.

Biofuels and Natural Gas

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what incentives her Department (a) is providing and (b) is planning to provide for (i) biomass and (ii) gas generation to create additional capacity.

Andrea Leadsom: Support is provided for biomass under a range of renewable financial incentives: the Renewables Obligation (RO), Feed in Tariff (FIT), Contracts for Difference (CfD) and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The RO closed to co-firing and conversions last year and any future support will be via CfD. The government announced it will hold three auctions for Contracts for Difference of up to £730 million this Parliament. Details of the future CFD allocation rounds will be published in due course. The Government confirmed increased funding for the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme in November 2015 as part of the Spending Review, with the annual budget rising from £430m in 2015/16 to £1.15bn in 2020/21. Getting new gas-fired stations built is a priority for Government and we are confident that the Capacity Market is the right mechanism to bring forward new capacity as older less efficient plants close. We have announced that we are going buy more capacity in December’s auction, tighten delivery incentives and bring forward the first capacity market delivery year to 2017/18. This should improve the chances of new gas (CCGTs, OCGTS and gas engines) capacity clearing in future auctions. Subject to a forthcoming consultation, closing unabated coal by 2025 will further strengthen investment signals for new gas. In addition, DECC is working with the planning inspectorate to arrange a workshop in June to explain how developers can use the pre-application project planning process to ensure applications for new gas plants are progressed as swiftly as possible.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Closures

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the closure of coal-fired power stations on (a) job losses and employment trends in the energy sector and (b) power generation; and what plans her Department has to mitigate those losses.

Andrea Leadsom: Coal is the most carbon intensive form of electricity generation and is not consistent with our decarbonisation plans, which is why the Secretary of State has announced an intention to consult on ending unabated coal generation by 2025.The Capacity Market is designed to bring forward the capacity we need as older plant such as coal come of the system. On 6 May 2016 we announced changes to the Capacity Market to buy more capacity and earlier; tighten the sanctions on those who fail to deliver on their obligations; and bolster energy security in the short–term by holding a new auction bringing forward the first Capacity Market delivery year to 2017/18.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, by what technical mechanisms her Department plans to take coal-fired power plants offline.

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans her Department has for ensuring an orderly shutdown of coal-fired power plants as the Government moves towards taking all coal-fired power plants offline by 2025; and what consideration her Department has given to the numerous technical mechanisms that necessarily entail removing all coal-fired stations simultaneously.

Andrea Leadsom: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has announced that the Department will be launching a consultation on proposals to end unabated coal generation by 2025. Options will be set out in that consultation.

Cabinet Office

Companies: Anguilla and Guernsey

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Anguilla and Guernsey have agreed to establish a central register of beneficial ownership accessible by UK tax and law enforcement agencies.

Matthew Hancock: Anguilla has now signed an arrangement to hold a central register or similarly effective system of beneficial ownership information accessible to UK tax and law enforcement agencies.Guernsey's Chief Minister wrote to the Prime Minister on 4 April 2016 with a commitment to this too and a proposal to make a formal arrangement with the UK government when their new government is in place following their recent election.

Cabinet Office: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Matthew Hancock: The Cabinet Office, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have incurred nil expenditure on infraction proceedings before the European Court of Justice.Figures held centrally by the Cabinet Office are set out below, which show costs incurred by other government departments in engaging counsel as a result of infraction proceedings issued against the UK before the Court.  2010/20112011/20122012/20132013/20142014/20152015/20162016/2017 (year to date)BISNilNilNilNilNilNilNilCONilNilNilNilNilNilNilDCLGNilNilNilNilNilNilNilDCMSNilNilNilNilNilNilNilDECCNilNilNilNilNilNilNilDEFRANil£1,740.00NilNilNil£8,791.61£966.66DfE£780.003,630.00NilNilNilNilNilDfTNilNilNilNilNilNilNilDFIDNilNilNilNilNilNilNilDHNilNilNilNilNilNIlNIlDWPNilNilNilNilNilNilNilFCONilNilNilNilNilNilNilHMT (HMRC)£687.50£3,797.50£16,610.67£24,004.95£6,749.99£9,834.99NilHONilNilNilNilNilNilNilMoDNilNilNilNilNilNilNilMoJNilNil£2,520.00NilNilNilNilNIONilNilNilNilNilNilNilSONilNilNilNilNilNilNilWONilNilNilNilNilNilNil *The above represents all data held. We do not hold financial records on these matters before FY 2010/2011. The UK has never been fined by the European Court of Justice as a result of infraction proceedings. Costs for departments include costs incurred by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which they are the lead department. While some departments will have incurred ad hoc costs in the pre-litigation stage of infraction proceedings, and costs associated with the attendance of government officials at infraction hearings, the cost of identifying that data would be disproportionate. Departments do not quantify the cost of time spent by government officials throughout the infractions process.

Anti-corruption Summit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans the International Anti-Corruption Summit will take to tackle tax avoidance and the role played by offshore tax havens in such avoidance.

Matthew Hancock: This Government will continue to lead the international agenda to crack down on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. The Summit will address a range of measures to tackle corruption, including promoting transparency.

Wales Office

Wales Office: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Guto Bebb: I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today to UIN 36288.

Wales Office: Dairy Products

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Guto Bebb: The Wales Office does not procure any dairy products.

Department of Health

Department of Health: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Ellison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 11 May to Question 36288.

Cancer: Drugs

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the effect of proposed reforms to the Cancer Drugs Fund on the provision in the NHS of (a) Avastin and (b) other drugs currently approved for off-licence use.

George Freeman: NHS England has advised that Avastin is currently funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) for three indications, all of which are off-label. It is also in the process of reviewing and setting up a system for assessing off-label drug indications. Each of the three off-label indications for Avastin will remain funded within the CDF until they have been assessed through the new process. Clinicians can prescribe any treatment, including an unlicensed product or a product not licensed for a particular indication, which they consider the best available medicine to meet the individual clinical needs of their patient, subject to their primary care organisation agreeing to fund this treatment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces Evidence Summaries which critically review the best available evidence for significant uses of unlicensed or off-label medicines. They help commissioners and clinicians to make evidence-based prioritisation, treatment and funding decisions where there are no clinically-appropriate licensed alternatives. Ensuring that patients get timely access to any new treatment, including off-label medicines in new indications, is complex and the Department is committed to working with stakeholders including NICE, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the General Medical Council, patient and professional groups, and charities to co-ordinate activities and set plans in place that will make this easier. This includes work to look at more systematic inclusion of off-label uses of drugs in the British National Formulary and development of case studies looking at re-purposed medicines and their pathways from research results into clinical practice.Alongside these, the Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act will, in due course, provide the National Health Service with a newly created database which will provide a mechanism for collecting and sharing information on innovative treatments including off-label drugs and medicines in development. Now that the Act has received Royal Assent the work to implement its provisions can begin.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to raise awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

George Freeman: The Department has taken steps to increase public awareness of all rare diseases including conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, through the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases. The Strategy includes specific commitments to raise awareness of rare diseases. The Strategy is currently being implemented across all four countries of the United Kingdom with progress monitored by the UK Rare Disease Forum. The first progress report by the Forum was published in February 2016.

Hospitals: Essex

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve hospital standards in Essex.

Ben Gummer: NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission and NHS England are working together to improve hospital standards in Essex. Three hospital trusts – Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust and Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – are part of the Success Regime and are working closely together with the aim of improving outcomes for patients. At Colchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a long-term partnership has been agreed with Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust to bring about sustainable improvement for patients.

Circumcision

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many men and boys were treated in hospital for complications or after-effects arising from circumcision (a) in an NHS hospital and (b) conducted privately in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many men and boys were circumcised for medical reasons through the NHS in each of the last three years.

Ben Gummer: The number of men and boys treated in hospital for complications or after-effects arising from circumcision in a National Health Service hospital and conducted privately in each of the last three years, is not collected centrally.The number of men and boys circumcised for medical reasons through the NHS in each of the last three years is not collected centrally. However, the table below shows a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the primary procedure was a circumcision undertaken for medical reasons for boys (aged under 18 years) and men (aged 18 years and over) for 2012-13 to 2014-15.Note that these data should not be described as counts of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care in the time period presented.Counts of FAEs where the primary procedure was a circumcision undertaken for medical reasons for boys (aged under 18 years) and men (aged 18 years and over) for 2012-13 to 2014-15  Age (years)Year0-17Over 18Unknown2014-158,86817,9981502013-148,96417,5541792012-138,90617,331137

Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency toolkit on the risks of valproate medicines in female patients in ensuring that female patients are better informed about the risks of taking valproate medicines during pregnancy.

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) clinical commissioning groups and (b) pharmacists are made aware of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency toolkit on the risks of valproate medicines in female patients.

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will conduct an investigation into historical cases of birth defects caused by sodium valproate and the support now required by the families affected.

George Freeman: Valproate is an effective treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder but should only be used in girls and women of childbearing potential if other treatments are ineffective or not tolerated. For some women there may be no other treatment option. Since it was authorised, valproate was known to have risks in pregnancy. Because of ongoing concerns about women’s awareness of the risks, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has worked with professional bodies, voluntary organisations and patient groups to develop a set of materials to aid communication between health professionals and women and girls.The valproate toolkit comprises booklets for healthcare professionals, a reminder card and a guide for women, a checklist for prescribers and clear package labelling carrying a prominent warning about use in pregnancy. It was widely disseminated on 8 February 2016 through a Central Alerting System (a web based cascade system for issuing alerts to the National Health Service) and the MHRA’s Drug Safety Update bulletin. Electronic copies of the toolkit are hosted on several websites including the Electronic Medicines Compendium. Letters and hard copies of the toolkit were sent by the marketing authorisation holder directly to general practitioners (GPs), pharmacists and relevant specialists. This included 400,000 patient cards, 81,000 patient guides and 22,000 healthcare professional booklets.In order to monitor the effectiveness of the valproate toolkit, the MHRA has sought feedback from all stakeholders and will continue to work with the Royal Colleges, professional bodies including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, patient groups and relevant charities to increase awareness of the toolkit among GPs, pharmacists and patients.This work will include exploring how clinical commissioning groups can help ensure the toolkit materials are being used.So far, the MHRA has worked with voluntary organisations and patient groups to produce online patient surveys to measure awareness of the risks among patients. Furthermore, MHRA is conducting a study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink to track changes in prescribing of valproate to women and girls following the communications to healthcare professionals and patients on the risks of valproate in pregnancy. The marketing authorisation holder is conducting Europe-wide studies to measure the changes in patterns of prescribing and awareness of the healthcare professionals of the risks. The available data will be brought together in a regularly updated dashboard that will be used to track the impact of the communications on patient and professional awareness over time.The Government has great sympathy for those families who have been affected by the use of valproate in pregnancy. There is support available for families with children born with a disability. For many people this will involve an early intervention programme from health visitors and midwives, to help a child develop, as well as provide support to the family. This might include: speech and language therapy – to help with any problems communicating or feeding; physiotherapy – to help with any muscle weakness or movement difficulties, and individual home teaching programmes.Where a child has a special educational need the local authority must make support available to ensure the child had access to the same educational opportunities as a child without such a need. The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced a new statutory framework for local authorities and to work together to secure services for children and young people – up to the age of 25 – who have special educational needs or disability, across education, health and social care.The MHRA’s current priority is to work to ensure that women taking valproate are fully aware of the risks in pregnancy. Once this is achieved we will look into the history of the episode and see what lessons have been or could be usefully learnt by examining events.

Pregnancy: Epilepsy

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support he is providing for research into epilepsy medication for pregnant women.

George Freeman: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research is funding a £1.5 million evaluation of the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and acceptability of dose adjustment strategies in antiepileptic drug management in pregnancy. The report of the evaluation is expected to be published in February 2017.

Circumcision

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted on the health benefits and risks of male circumcision.

George Freeman: The Department has not conducted or commissioned any specific research on the health effects of male circumcision.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the £2 million allocated by NHS England over the next two years to make pre-exposure prophylaxis available at early implementer test sites will be in addition to funding from the specialised commissioning budget.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that the PROUD trial participants will continue to receive a supply of the pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV drugs after June 2016.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects a final decision to be made and announced on whether HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis is commissioned.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is in the process of re-considering its decision to remove pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from the specialised commissioning annual prioritisation process. As such, no final decisions have yet been taken by NHS England as to whether or not they will routinely commission PrEP. This process, which is being overseen by NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee, is expected to complete by the end of May 2016. Until the outcome of this process is known, NHS England will continue to work with Public Health England and the Department on planning for the proposed £2 million investment in an early implementer test site programme for PrEP. As part of this, NHS England will be exploring how, and where appropriate, a period of further support might be offered to the participants enrolled on the PROUD study. All the PROUD trial participants signed an explicit consent form that made clear that there was no long term commitment to continue providing PrEP beyond the trial.

Electronic Cigarettes

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Royal College of Physician's report, Nicotine without smoke: Tobacco harm reduction, published in April 2016.

Jane Ellison: The Department has and will continue to keep abreast of all evidence and consider it in developing policy. The report published by the Royal College of Physicians is consistent with the Government’s current policy that the best thing a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking and quit for good, but we recognise that e-cigarettes have a role to play in helping some people to quit.

Tobacco: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to conduct an annual review of the effect of the Tobacco Products Directive.

Jane Ellison: Comprehensive tobacco control measures act in concert. The Government monitors the impact of all tobacco control measures using a range of data sources, some of which are reported annually. The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Regulations 2015, which implement most elements of the Tobacco Products Directive in the United Kingdom, contain a review clause, with the first review of the operation of the legislation falling before 2021.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were enrolled on the PROUD trial.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the  number of people in a high-risk group for contracting HIV.

Jane Ellison: The PROUD trial was launched in 2012, coordinated by the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit and Public Health England (PHE). The number of people enrolled in the trial, was 544.Based on evidence from the PROUD study, PHE has made an assessment that of the 100,000 men who have sex with men who attend genito-urinary medicine clinics annually, 8,000 can be identified as being at ‘high-risk’.The Department has not yet made its own assessment.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support the children and families of alcoholics.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) is engaged in a work programme which aims to reduce alcohol-related harm to individuals, families and society. PHE works closely with local authorities to support their work of assessing local alcohol-related need and commissioning services and support to meet that need, including identification and brief advice, alcohol treatment and helping ensure that young people’s substance misuse services target vulnerable young people. PHE is producing a report on the harm alcohol causes to people other than the drinker, in collaboration with governments in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This report will look at the impact of alcohol on others, including the children of parents with alcohol problems. It is due to published this year. PHE will also provide estimates of the number of children likely to be affected by their parents’ alcohol use and provide advice to national and local government on where action could have the greatest impact on improving life chances.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34094, by what deadline clinical commissioning groups will be required to report on whether they have increased investment in mental health services above their overall increase in allocation each year.

Alistair Burt: Spending on mental health is expected to increase to £11.7 billion and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to continue to increase their spend on mental health each year.NHS England’s published planning guidance for 2015/16 for commissioners made the expectation clear that each CCG’s spend on mental health services in 2015/16 should increase in real terms, and grow by at least the same percentage as each CCG’s allocation increase.Detail on planned spend on mental health is captured as part of the National Health Service financial plan returns for 2016/17 with follow up as part of the plan assurance process. This information is being assessed during May by NHS England.

Dental Services: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists have been registered as working in NHS practices in Ashfield constituency in the (a) 2015-16, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2009-10 financial year.

Alistair Burt: The information requested is not collected in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table. Number of dentists with National Health Service activity, for specified years ending 31 March - selected organisationsOrganisation Name2009-102012-132014-15Nottinghamshire County Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT)331....NHS Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)..8785NHS Newark and Sherwood CCG..4853NHS Nottingham North and East CCG..96103NHS Nottingham West CCG..5260NHS Rushcliffe CCG..5669Sources: Health and Social Care Information Centre; NHS Dental Services of the NHS Business Services Authority Notes:1. Dentists are defined as performers with NHS activity recorded in each financial year by FP17 forms.2. Dentists will be counted more than once if they have a contract in more than one CCG or PCT (2009-10).Therefore a total for the specified CCGs is not provided in 2012-13 and 2014-15.3. Data consists of performers in General Dental Services (GDS), Personal Dental Services (PDS) and Trust-led Dental Services (TDS).4. ' .. ' denotes data not applicable5. As at 1 April 2013 CCG replaced PCTs. 2009-10 data are not available by CCG.

Electronic Cigarettes

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on whether there is a link between the number of years of e-cigarette use and those people smoking tobacco in the future.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold data on this.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34094, if he will provide examples of what his Department might consider an adequate justification for clinical commissioning groups not investing in mental health services as planned.

Alistair Burt: The Mental Health Taskforce report was published on 15 February 2016. The taskforce marks a big step towards our ambition of parity of esteem for mental and physical health. The spending of clinical commissioning group (CCG) resources on mental health as indicated in proportionate increases to general CCG spending is a priority for the Department. Mental Health Parity of Esteem is a key plan metric for NHS England and any commissioners not planning to achieve this are being scrutinised locally at regional level and centrally at director level. NHS England’s central and regional teams are working with local commissioners to assure that spend on mental health services increases in line with the growth in each organisations programme allocation other than in exceptional circumstances. In assessing whether a case is exceptional, consideration is made of the level of medium term investment in mental health services by individual commissioners and instances where individual commissioners are working with other commissioners to increase spend for the wider health economy. But any such instances will require clear evidence that will be scrutinised as part of the assurance process.

Babies: Health

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to encourage mothers and GPs to use the Baby Check app developed by Birmingham Community Healthcare and the Lullaby Trust.

Ben Gummer: The Department has asked NHS England to review the Baby Check app to see if it could potentially make a good case study to highlight it on their Innovation Connect portal for consideration by all National Health Service organisations. The Innovation Connect portal can be found at: http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/innovation/innovation-connect/

HIV Infection: Drugs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans NHS England has to conduct a public consultation on the commissioning of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is in the process of reconsidering its decision in relation to the commissioning of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The outcome of this decision, which is expected at the end of May, will determine whether NHS England will then conduct any form of public consultation on the commissioning of PrEP.

Vitamin D

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many tests for Vitamin D were carried out by pathology laboratories in England in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14; and what the cost to the NHS was of providing such tests in each of those years.

Jane Ellison: This information is not held centrally. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning laboratory testing locally.

Pregnancy: Screening

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of introducing cell-free DNA testing on the NHS on the number of women choosing to terminate their pregnancies.

Jane Ellison: There is a long established Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (NHS FASP) that prospective parents can choose whether to participate in. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has recommended that non-invasive prenatal testing for Down’s syndrome should be introduced as an additional test into the NHS FASP as part of an evaluation. Ministers are currently considering this important recommendation from the UK NSC which would give pregnant women and their partners more accurate information and should reduce the number of women having to undergo unnecessary invasive testing which carries a risk of miscarriage. The UK NSC recommendation does not change the offer to prospective parents of participating in the programme, nor the options and choices available when testing identifies a fetus with Down’s, Edwards’ or Patau’s syndrome. Existing guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists already makes it clear that women and their partners should receive appropriate information and support from a properly trained multidisciplinary team, who must adopt a supportive and non-judgemental approach regardless of whether the decision is to terminate or continue the pregnancy. This should include referral to other professional experts (including palliative care) and referral for counselling when this can help, as part of a co-ordinated package of care.